The Unknown Son 3: Redemption
by Sith Master2019
Summary: After learning the dark truth about Kallisto Mara Jade joins with Luke and Vader who are ruling the galaxy as father and son, Vader recives something that causes him to believe Padme yet lives while the Emperor begins construction on a weapon.
1. Dark Pasts

_**Hello readers, I am now posting Unknown Son 3. I suffered a major setback on this fic when my hard drive on my computer broke. I got a new one and am now starting from scratch. Enjoy the first chapter and as always REVIEW!!!! Note: In this first chapter in the flashback thing Mara is two years old.**_

The Unknown Son 3:

Chapter 1: Dark Pasts

16 Years Ago

A family sat down for dinner in the kitchen of their apartment. There were three, a mother, a father, and their two year old daughter Mara. This was the Jade family, normal, happy, and they were about to have their lives turned upside down. The man who was the father to Mara sat down and took a slab of meat from the middle of the table and plopped it on his plate, pouring himself a glass of blue milk he began to eat. Mara looked at her food tiredly; it was mashed potatoes, for she was only just teething.

Helena Jade, the mother put a helping of meat on her plate as well and poured enough sauce on it to cover only the surface. Just as she cut a piece off, jabbed it with a fork and was about to take the first bite a metallic rapping sounded at the door. She sighed and put her fork down, standing up she set off to answer it.

Her husband stopped her.

"I'll get it, just go ahead and eat." Her husband said. Helena smiled, thanked her husband and sat back down, she tucked a strand of her long red hair behind her ear and began to eat, half watching her husband near the door. When it opened the man found himself staring into the helmet of an Imperial storm trooper with a blaster aimed at his chest.

"Stand down." The trooper said.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Mr. Jade shouted as he was forced to kneel and put his hands behind his head, the barrel of the storm troopers blaster barely touching the back of his angled head. Helena stood up.

"What are you doing here? I demand a warrant; otherwise you get the hell out of my kitchen." Helena commanded as five other storm troopers entered, making the total tally six.

"Very well," The first one said, taking out a datapad. "We, storm troopers of the Galactic Empire come with a warrant signed by Emperor Palptaine himself to seize Mara Jade for the purpose of a new program the Emperor developed."

"What?!" Helena cried. "This is outrageous! You have no right to take my daughter!"

"Silence," A voice hissed from just in the shadows of the doorway that led outside of the apartment. A ghostly figure floated in, a man not much taller then Helena draped in a coal black cloak, and a hood covered his hideous face, deformed with furrows and creases that no amount of age could make. His skin had a gray glow and it the flesh on it looked as though it had melted then cooled. His hands were like spiders, his fingers long and huge talon like nails jutted out of them. From the light cast upon his face Helena saw a smile form. This man was the Emperor himself.

"I will do what I wish Mrs. Jade." He said coolly. "Your daughter is very valuable to me."

He looked to the trooper. "Take her." He said.

In a flash the white armored demon scooped up the little girl and was out the door.

"No!" Helena screamed as a storm trooper tried to quell her futile resistance. "Take me instead!"

"Very well," The Emperor said with a huge toothy smiled. "Take them both."

"You ugly bastard!" Cried Mr. Jade, he grabbed a sharp and silver steak knife and hurled it at the Emperor. It stopped, mere inches away from his robed chest, seemingly by magic. It floated there for a moment, then turned, the point of it facing toward Mr. Jade. The knife flew like a speeding bullet at the man, who at the last second bent one way. Troopers rushed to seize him but the Emperor waved them away. Helena watched as the old man extended his claw like hands, each finger tip began to spit blue/white lightning, pumping it into Mr. Jade.

The Emperor laughed as the man fell to the floor, withering and screaming. Helena stared in horror as her husband slowly died, his flesh turned black as burn marks formed. The smell of it filled the family's humble little kitchen. And then, with one last blood curdling shriek of pure agony Mr. Jade fell limp in died.

It was only then Helena cried out but was silenced by the fist of storm trooper crashing into the back of her head. She was unconscious, dead to the world, like her husband except for one thing, eventually she would open her eyes and wake up. His would be closed forever.

XxX

Sometime later (a night only, though it felt like weeks) Helena's senses returned. The first feeling that came over her was coldness, literally. Wherever she was it was as cold as the mountain peaks of Hoth. Slowly Helena regained other senses, her smell first. Wherever she was it smelled grime and waste. She had a metallic taste in her mouth, as though a metal plate had been attached to its roof. Her hearing came back, but she heard nothing. Then finally her sight, she opened her eyes to a dim light. She turned her head but found her arms and legs immovable. She realized where she was, strapped to a metal bed in a dim Imperial cell.

Then the door opened, she jumped and felt a shock issue from her ankle binders that kept her on the bed. This was a torture bed, and even though she was injured the Imperials hadn't been thoughtful enough to disengage the retraining shock function of the bed. She watched, careful not to move so much as to receive another shock, and saw a man in a white lab coat standing above her.

"Good, you're awake." He said. "You suffered a nasty blow to the head, we sedated you for a while to check for trauma. There was none but you might have a headache after a while."

"Thanks for your concern you son of a—"

"I see you are well enough to speak." The doctor observed, ignoring the comment she nearly made. "That is good, my master will wish to speak with you."

"Master? Oh, you mean the ugly guy?"

"Yes the ugly guy." The doctor replied, only to find himself being strangled by invisible hands as the Emperor happened to be standing in the doorway. He entered the room, still draped in those dark robes. He looked over Helena.

"You my dear are in a predicament." Lord Sidious said softly.

"Don't call me dear." Helena spat.

"I took your daughter because she is sensitive to the Force." The Emperor continued.

"The Force? I thought that was just some myth."

"Yes many other do also," The Emperor said. "and as well they should. For there are now only those who know nothing of the Force, little and believe it to be a myth not worth studying, or those who do remember it, those who do also remember who used it, the Jedi. And the Jedi betrayed the galaxy, and so no one is tempted to study the Force. Therefore no one can be a real threat to me."

"I hate history, get to the point." Helena snapped.

"I admire your courage, not many would speak so freely to me." The Emperor commented. "I wish to train your daughter as an elite Force using assassin, one of a handful that will be part of a group called the Emperor's Hands. Fortunately for you Miss Jade your daughter inherited her Force sensitivity from you. Therefore you are sensitive to the Force which is why you are still alive. However it will be much easier to train your daughter since she hasn't much of a will. It is so easy to raise a servant whose will is your own if you start from early childhood. To the point; I could train you as another one of my Hands if you would be willing. I haven't the patience to break your will."

"And just why would I join you willingly?"

"An excellent question, but I have an answer. I give you a chance to watch over your daughter's development. Never will you come in contact with her, but I suppose the ability to even see her is better than nothing at all. Otherwise you die and your daughter loses both parents."

That decision came easily. Her maternal instincts said to stay alive so that she one day might be able to kill this man and protect her daughter. And so she said yes.

Present Time

Of course it had not turned out the way she planned. Her intent to watch over her daughter was devoured by her craving for power once she had the first taste of the dark side. She didn't realize then how easily she played into the Emperor's hands. He had wanted to turn her to an agent of evil in the first place; he never intended to kill her even if she refused to join. He succeeded. When her training was complete she fashioned a new name for herself, Kallisto, but the identity she once had never really left her nor did her concern and love for her daughter. But she was too consumed by the dark side to pay much attention.

Kallisto sat on the cold bench of a cell in the Imperial palace. She was kept here, and not in a Coruscanti prison because she might have been valuable, plus she was dangerous as hell and the palace's prison had super high security. Kallisto looked down at the only possession she had that she had been allowed to keep, a simply ring. It was a mere gold band with a violet stone sunken into it at the top. This ring was given to her by her mother and one day she had intended to pass it onto her own daughter. But that day may never come, Mara refused to see her and perhaps she never would. Kallisto wanted her to, but she accepted that may never come to pass.

XxX

In little more then a matter of two or three months things had changed on Coruscant, well in the galaxy really. Vader's Galactic Empire was no longer the supreme power in the Universe, those loyal to the late Emperor Palpatine had not quelled at the loss of Kallisto (whom they thought was dead) they had strengthened ten fold. They now referred to themselves as The Loyalists of the Galactic Empire or The Loyalists for short. They had revealed themselves a while ago by attacking and destroying a fleet of three Victory class star destroyers who were assigned to oversee the transport of a weapon Vader was having moved, they did this with one Imperial class star destroyer. True one Imperial class was perfectly equal to three victory classes but it was the time in which the small battle took place that was so mind boggling. Ten minutes, only ten.

Admiral Piett and Admiral Daala had both been assigned to search for the Loyalists. Ravan thought that Daala would be serving under Alecto as Vader offered, but alas Alecto returned to the smuggling business on Cato Neimoidia, except within the first week the Loyalists found her, she managed to escape and went to a much bigger back up base on a planet, the location was classified. One could only assume the Loyalists wanted to pump Alecto for information since she was Kallisto's second in command.

Also Mara had given up a military position offered to her by Vader and chose to return to being the Emperor's Hand, and Vader's only one. Though Ravan knew better, Vader had _suggested _Mara take the position, it hadn't exactly been voluntary. This was probably because Vader wanted to keep an eye on Mara's activates as he didn't trust her. Since it had been Kallisto's true intent to kill him and Mara had been working along side her he assumed to the two had been collaborating and since Kallisto could not Mara was to finish the job. This was completely ridiculous as Mara completely and entirely trusted Ravan now since he freed her from the Emperor's commands sent to her through the screeching voice inside her head.

Ravan himself had been called in by Vader who wanted to see him for some reason. Ravan had a guess but he was not certain. He entered Vader's throne room which had been refurbished after Leia's hurricane had swept through it (not literally). Leia herself had been cremated and her ashes had simply been dumped into an incinerator. Ravan ascended the stairs to Vader's throne and bowed before the chair and desk. There was only silence for a moment, except for the rattling breathing of Vader, Mara had dubbed him "iron lung" and called him that behind his back. Speaking of Mara, she was due to return to Coruscant today from an assassination mission Vader had sent her on.

"Rise my son." Vader commanded. Ravan stood up.

"Why did you call me here father?" He asked.

"You know I assigned the search for the Loyalists to Admiral Piett and Daala?"

"Yes."

"Piett is a capable man but he requires help. I haven't the patience to help; I want you to board the _Executor_ and aid in the search however you can."

_Sure you do. _Ravan almost said out loud. He didn't understand why Vader would hide his true intentions in some meaningless mission. Yes Admiral Piett was entirely capable of searching and locating the Loyalist's base, true Ravan could possibly somehow provide a minuet bit of help but this was not the real reason Vader was sending him to the _Executor_ which was currently in orbit around Coruscant along with Piett's fleet. Daala was off somewhere with Vice Admiral Pellaeon. Anyway Vader only wanted him on that ship to keep him away from Mara. He strongly disapproved of Ravan's… feelings toward her. To make it worse Mara was warming up to him and the two had become what one might call friends, as friendly as two Sith can really be.

"Very good, that means we have nothing more to discuss. Go."

So Ravan did. He left his father's throne room bound for the area of the entire landing floor where his new ship was. He reached it; this was an odd looking ship. It was new, just a month ago Vader had pushed this type of ship onto the production line, they had been very expensive, and fortunately only three were made, one for Vader himself, the next for Ravan, and the last for Mara. It had the general shape of a TIE Advanced X-1 fighter, except it was as big as a Lambda Class shuttle with no wings. It was a new model of TIE fighters, except it war more of an assault shuttle thus its name was the Advanced Sith Assault TIE or ASAT.

The reasons for the ASAT's size were that first of all it housed a life support system and hyperdrive, as well as quarters that could occupy two, and was complete with a well sized cargo bay and a cold food storage box. The main reason for its size was because it housed a cloaking device, plus it was made to accommodate pilots for long missions. From far away one might mistake it for an actual TIE fighter, except for the fact a ramp stuck out just behind and under its bubble cockpit. Ravan headed toward the ramp but stopped as another ASAT dropped from the sky and landed near his. It was Mara, perfect timing.

Ravan watched rather intently as the ramp of the ship lowered and a figure in a black pilot suit stepped down it. A helmet covered her head, when she reached to bottom of the ramp she grabbed it and pulled it off, releasing a mess of red hair that sprawled out over her shoulders and down her back, she tossed the helmet back up the ramp, then she looked to Ravan and smiled.

"Hello farm boy, you my welcoming party?" She asked.

"Not exactly," Ravan said bitterly. "My father ordered me onto the _Executor._"

"Funny, the iron lung is calling me into his throne room."

"Didn't you just get back from a mission?"

"To kill a pathetic merchant, yeah, I debriefed Vader on my way back, like an hour ago. There isn't really a reason he should be calling me in. Whatever though. I have to take this suit off."

"I have to go."

"Sorry that I couldn't be around any longer."

"I think that's the point of it."

"Bye then."

"Bye." Ravan said and walked up the ramp of his ship as Mara started out for the palace, slowly.

_Executor _Bridge

As always when someone stepped onto the _Executor _to take command with higher authority then Admiral Piett he always seemed to be a little more… boring, perhaps it was because he felt less powerful. Ravan stepped onto the bridge and Piett sank into robot work mode, turning around to greet the Sith Lord. He bowed.

"Lord Ravan, it is an honor to have you back on this ship." Admiral Piett said.

"It's nice to be back." Ravan lied. "Now I am here for business, what have you got for me?"

"Nothing that you will like milord, in truth," Piett replied handing Ravan a datapad with a report on its screen. Those were always so boring, detailed to the tiniest bit, every part of anything was described, grass, vehicles, armor, food, you name it. Ravan looked them over briefly but didn't actually read anything. "The Loyalists are now attacking our weapon transport convoys. They always seem to send one Imperial Class star destroyer."

"Have you tightened the guard on weapon convoys?"

"As best as we can. We've triple classified everything to do with them and established new classified routes, but the only actual physical guards we could spare were three Tartan Patrol Cruisers for every three ships."

"That is nowhere near enough to protect them against a fully armed Imperial Class star destroyer admiral."

"We realize that milord but it is all we have to spare, every other part of the Imperial fleet is diverting their attention to guarding key planets, or searching for the Loyalists."

"Admiral Daala has nothing yet?"

"She has hundreds of leads milord, but it will take time to follow them through."

"I only want her following up on fully concrete leads." Ravan said.

"It is Emperor Vader's decision, he want all efforts diverted to finding and neutralizing The Loyalists."

"We better make sure we are well prepared for any sort of attack."

"With all due respect milord Lord Vader himself designed new guard protocols and as far as I am aware every single unit of our army is following them to the letter." Piett said, rather crossly.

"Well we need to find The Loyalists then, that's what I am here for. I think the answer lies in the attacks on weapon cargo transports. We need a plan."

"To the briefing room then milord?"

"You bet. Although I think we should contact my father. I think Mara Jade's covert expertise will be of great value to us in this situation."

"Are you saying you want me to request Vader post Mara on this ship as well?"

"You bet Admiral, and make it _convincing._ That's a direct order."

**_Yeah, I know what you're thinking this is long. Indeed it is… so long that you must have found something to REVIEW about in it, eh? SUPER MEGA MUST READ NOTE!!!: As I said I am doing an Alias fan fiction as well. I have never done two at a time however I am now; therefore updates will not be very frequent for either. I'm going to make sure I am at least a few chapters ahead in my typing on each fic, this might help make updates more frequent. _**


	2. Talks

_**I just thought that all of you who have stuck with this series would like to know that the first Master and Apprentice: The Unknown Son was by FAR my most successful fan fiction. It has exactly as of this day (January 8, 2007) 11720 hits! All of the Unknown Son series fics have over 40 reviews. I'd love to get over 40 reviews on this so do not forget to tell me what you think. One simple way to do this is REVIEW!!**_

Chapter 2: Talks

Mara walked into the Emperor's throne room as she had done so many times before. She strode from the turbo lift and across the bridge that went over a giant reactor pit, finally past the red robed guards and up the steps the Vader's throne room. Vader sat there, motionless, for all Mara knew he could have been dead except that was not the case since his breathing rattled from his mask loudly. He seemed to sigh and Mara briefly kneeled before him and then stood up.

"You called Lord Vader?" Mara asked.

"I did." Vader replied simply.

"Why exactly? I fully debriefed you when I was en route to Coruscant. Or was I not clear on something?" Mara asked, doing well to keep the slight annoyance she had out of her voice. It sounded as though she were concerned for Vader's well being, the way she asked if she was not clear on something.

"I had other reasons to call you in here that have changed now."

"What are they then?"

"Admiral Piett has requested your immediate assistance in a matter of the search for the Loyalists." Vader said, almost sadly.

"Assistance," Mara repeated. "And how can I help the good Admiral?"

"Admiral Piett believes he and my son came up with a viable plan for locating the Loyalist's base. It is an idea however and he feels your skills will aid him in the plan." Vader explained, then as if it were the worse thing he could possibly do he finished. "Therefore I am forced to send you to the _Executor_."

Mara almost rolled her eyes; he really didn't want her anywhere near Ravan at all did he? To bad she happened to like Ravan now and she liked to be near him, therefore it was somewhat inevitable that she would come in contact with him, whether by Vader's will… or not.

"How sad for you," Mara said, referring to the part about Vader being _forced _to send her to the _Executor_.

"Just go." Vader snapped.

"Do I have a time limit for being on the ship?"

"Until your presence is no longer _necessary _stay aboard it, when your job is finished I want you back on the planet."

XxX

The Imperial officer's navy uniforms were highly dull Mara noted as she stepped onto the bridge of the _Executor_ for the first time in a long, long, long time. Everyone wore gray, except Ravan who wore simple black Sith garb which consisted of a long sleeved black tunic with matching pants, a black belt which his lightsaber was hooked on, a pair of very shiny boots, and a flowing cloak with a hood. Mara herself wore a black stealth suit which caused more then a little attention to be directed to her on a bridge full of crew members dressed in gray, most young but a few older who dedicated their life to the Imperial navy and had not seen many women since their service time started, besides the few women that worked in the navy. The former Emperor had been prejudice against aliens and women, Mara Jade was one of his few exceptions and since this fleet served under the former Emperor it didn't consist very highly of women. Maybe, possibly women officers or crew members made up one percent of the crews of… maybe seventeen ships put together which is not a lot.

Anyway Mara stepped across the rail-less metal bridge that was suspended above the crew pits, her boots made no sound on the cool metal. Admiral Piett turned to her, he didn't look particularly pleased to see her, nor did he look displeased, in fact his face didn't display any emotion of feeling in particular. Ravan however did look pleased to see her, at least as pleased as his self control of his display of emotions in front of the crew members would allow him to look.

"Welcome Miss Jade." Piett said, it sounded more like a statement then any type of greeting, but that's how those officers were these days, up tight and emotionless. Mara found herself annoyed at the dullness around her, or possibly the prolonged stares of the men in the crew pits.

"Greetings Mara," Ravan said in a low Lord-like nature.

"Hey farm boy," Mara greeted, trying to lighten the dull mood around her. She did succeed in coaxing a few small chuckles out of some of the men in the crew pit, but the Imperial army and navy were wired on discipline so they shut up instantaneously when their superiors stared them down warningly. "So fill me in, why do you need me here?"

They did so. It would seem that the Loyalists were destroying weapon transports convoys unremittingly. They waited to entice them out into the open with a convoy that had a dummy weapon in it; a dummy weapon that the Loyalists thought was genuine and couldn't resist attacking. Then they could either track the attacker as they fled, or perhaps do something else.

"I say we do track them." Mara said. "In fact I will, my ASAT does have cloaking abilities and I could wait out in space until they destroy the convoy, then get a lock on them and track their hyperspace route."

"It is likely that they will make random jumps before they go to their location. I myself think we should try to overtake the ship and interrogate its crew."

"But if we fail we'll never be able to bait them like that again." Ravan put in. "Even if we succeed we won't be able to do it again."

"He's right," Mara agreed. "Our best bet is to track them."

"I am not sure; we'd have to find a particularly large skeleton crew willing to die." Piett put in.

"I'm sure that will be simple." Mara said. "The better part of this navy was willing to break away from Sidious with Vader, I would image a lot of 'em would be willing to die for the cause of wiping out the one who are still loyal the Sidious."

"Perhaps," Piett was starting to give in.

Ravan glanced at the bridge's chrono. He nearly jumped when he saw the time, 2300 hours. Eleven at night, he had to wake up at 0600 tomorrow and he did not want to engage in this discussion for another hour.

"We will continue this tomorrow Admiral. It is my decision however Piett, I am your superior." Ravan stated.

"Yeah, I'm tired." Mara agreed. "Speaking of which where am I going to sleep?"

"I have a guest bed in my quarters." Ravan said.

"Perfect."

**_I bet a load of you can do two stories at a time. But since I'm posting this one as well as another (which is in a different category that SW by the way) I am going to say I will temporarily abandon which ever story doesn't get the most reviews or hits or whatever. So for those of you who want to read the last of the Unknown Son series and want to read it now with all the kick butt fights and romance and mystery I am planning then REVIEW!! _**


	3. Alive

**_I have my own ideas about how the throne room in the Emperor's citadel could look. You'll see what I mean._**

Chapter 3: Alive

Byss

It was a dark day on this Imperial planet, jet black clouds swirled threateningly over the Emperor's Citadel, the enormous black building with a red tint, like dark red jewel engulfed in the blackness of a starless midnight evening. This was the place where the Loyalists made their base. Inside this ominous and forbidding evil palace, in the very throne room of the deceased Emperor Palpatine paced a man I dark robes.

This man was as ominous and forbidding as the citadel he stood in. He was all of six foot one and his robes were even a little long for him. A dark and plain hood was pulled over his head, covering his eyes with shadow. On his robes were black armor, shoulder pads, gauntlets, a chest plate, knee guards, and shin guards completed his dark attire. He matched the interior of the room about him, a long room with a throne at the one end and two double doors at the other, the floor was made completely of black stone, and dark marble pillars supported the ceiling on either side. He paced in front of this wicked looking throne, the dark side swirled around him like an apocalyptic whirlwind of awesome power.

This man's name was Darth Xarkun, an apprentice the late Emperor trained in secret and leader of the Loyalists, for the moment. His head snapped in the direction of the double doors as they slowly open and a woman with a slender figure stepped in. She wore long robes like Xarkun, her long hair was black, smooth, and sleek and her eyes were naturally red, they looked like two dying son's, the pupils it seemed at any moment would overtake them and the sun's light would be darkened forever. These crimson eyes greatly contrasted with her pale white skin, several blood vessels popped out over her hidden arms and legs as well as her hands. She was one of the Nightsister clan, a naturally Force using species who practiced the dark arts of the Force. She was the younger of two sisters both of whom were taken from their clan at birth by the Emperor, as they showed a higher than usual Force sensitivity. She was given to Lord Xarkun as an apprentice and her older sister was trained as one of the Emperor's Hands, however at the age of ten she fled the cruel life she had under the now deceased Emperor. But her sister who had assumed the title Darth Dementra had stayed and embraced the heritage of her species, namely the dark side of the Force. She was second in command of the Loyalists.

"What is it?" Lord Xarkun asked his apprentice. His voice was deep and silky smooth; if there had been some sort of vocal disrupter in front of his mouth he could easily have been confused for Darth Vader himself.

"I have good news my master." Dementra replied in a higher voice then her masters, but equally as smooth and silky with a definite feminine touch.

"What is it?" Xarkun repeated impatiently.

"Lady Kallisto is alive."

"That is utterly impossible." An echoing voice rasped from nowhere. Then a ghostly silhouette like figure in the shape of the late Emperor appeared, sitting on his throne. "I was driven out of her when she died."

"Whatever it was that drove you out milord did not kill Kallisto." Dementra said. "I did some digging and learned she is being held prisoner in the Imperial palace on Coruscant."

"That is not surprising," The Emperor said. "it's Vader's nature to keep those whom he thinks might be valuable near him."

"That's not all though," Dementra hissed, clearly she didn't like the news she herself was about to relay. "I've uncovered a threat, as you know we reconstructed a few of the files Kallisto's smuggling band had on their computers on Cato Neimoidia. My sister is working with them."

"How can you be sure?"

"She is using an alias, yes, the same name she tried to convince you was hers when you began to train her in the vain effort of escape. Volla Melvaad."

"She could be a threat to us, yes. We certainly do not need any more Force users joining Vader. Kallisto would be a valuable ally. We should retrieve her and proceed with finding your sister."

"Perhaps we could search for her on some sort of database. She must have been doing something before she became a smuggler." Xarkun suggested.

"I've tried, there are fifteen hundred different Livia's, and I doubt any are Nightsisters." Dementra said, her sister's name was Livia.

"It matters not, once we have Kallisto back with us we will not need to search. She will know where her backup base is." The Emperor said. "But the question is how do we get it?"

"Might I suggest something my Emperor?" Asked the voice of a great military strategist. Xarkun and Dementra turned to the door of the throne room to see a man enter. But this man was not human, his eyes glowed bright red naturally and his skin had a bluish tinge. Grand Admiral Thrawn, without exception the only alien the Emperor had ever give the position of Grand Admiral to, or any military position really. The Grand Admiral stepped up beside Xarkun.

"Yes Admiral Thrawn?" The Emperor's ghost asked. Thrawn was the Emperor's top military commander now. The Grand Admiral had joined with the Emperor and the Loyalists some time ago, nearly a month after those loyal to Palpatine had begun to gather on Byss. Thrawn had been in charge of attacking the weapons transports since of his brilliant sense of strategy.

"The Imperial palace is to heavily guarded," Thrawn stated and it was a fact. "We cannot attack it directly in attempt to rescue. It must be an inside operation."

"You're correct Admiral." Xarkun agreed, coming to the same conclusion itself.

"What do you suggest then?" Dementra asked.

"I suggest you do something that will get you locked up in the palace's prison. Then you can break Kallisto out."

"How?"

"Create a riot. Prisoners in the palace do get leisure time in a room with a deck over looking it. A guard stands there with a rifle, the hallway behind him is the guard's quarters and it leads to a turbo lift. Conceal something to take this guard out and during leisure time kill him, give his weapons to the prisoners and let them create a distraction while you and Kallisto escape."

"A well thought out plan." The Emperor commented.

"Not really, the prison guards are just complete twits."

"So what crime can I commit that will land me in the palace's prison?" Dementra asked.

"The palace has a very high security prison," The Emperor's ghost began. "It is only for the most dangerous prisoners; I kept those who were a threat to me personally there as I believe Vader will do."

"So are you saying I should assassinate Vader?" Dementra asked.

"No, in my study of the Imperial justice system (which there actually is not one) assassins who succeed in their mission and are caught are simply executed. You need to commit an attempted assassination."

"Attempted?" Dementra snapped sarcastically. "If I try to kill Vader he'll just kill me."

"No he won't, not if he believes you have important information."

"So you want me to yell at him that I am with the Loyalists before I pull the trigger on a sniper rifle?"

"No, I want you to engage in a sword fight with Vader, that way you can tell him." Thrawn said. The plan was good.

"Very well," The Emperor said. "This is how it will be. Go immediately Lady Dementra, Grand Admiral Thrawn I want you to oversee the production of the new weapons. Lord Xarkun I want you to oversee the growth of the clones."

"Yes milord." Thrawn, Xarkun, and Dementra said in unison, they bowed and left. Darth Sidious's ghost faded into nothingness.

XxX

Mara's ASAT was invisible amongst many rocky asteroids, she ship itself was attached to the surface of a particularly large one, its cloaking device was at full power making it impossible to see or detect. Mara sat inside it, gazing at the radar screen. The plan they had was in effect, the one for tracking the Loyalists. Outside of the asteroid field was a refueling station, kept here for secrecy yet this was one of the classified routes the Loyalists had attacked before. Finally Mara saw the convoy come out of hyperspace just a few hundred thousand miles away from the plant (which looked like one hundred feet in space), the convoy carried a dummy weapon, a nonfunctioning clone of a highly powerful weapon. This convoy would be too big a prize for the Loyalists to pass up. Ravan and Admiral Piett were in contact with her, both were on the _Executor _which was several hundred light years away from Mara's position. Thankfully her ASAT had the ability to send cloaked communications, as did the _Executor._

Mara watched and waited as the lead transport ship of the convoy attached to the refueling depot. After a good amount of minutes her radar sent a warning a ship was exiting hyperspace. And to the northern part of the depot space rippled and an Imperial Class star destroyer exited space with a silent sonic boom. Almost instantly it opened fire on the fuel depot's shield generator, the small cloud of escorting TIE fighters and a couple gamma assault shuttles zoomed towards the enemy star destroyer in a desperate attempt to stop it. However the star destroyer unleashed TIE fighters of its own, the ships looked gnat sized from Mara's point of view and they all began to swarm around one another, little lances of green raw laser escaped their gnat sized cockpits, occasionally hitting another gnat and making it disappear in a cloud of superheated gas.

Soon the convoy's protectors were exhausted, the enemy TIE's returned to the star destroyer whose turbo lasers had just broken through the depot's shields and killed the generator. As Mara suspected the star destroyer began to open fire on the armored fuel tank of the depot, but it was now time for the four convoy transport ships to play their part. Each was armed with eight turbo laser batteries and a concussion missile launcher mounted above the bridge. The four ships turned their guns to the star destroyer and opened fire, it was futile however as the ship's shields were far too strong. Then what Mara had been expecting happened.

The star destroyer's guns punctured the fuel tanks armor and the entire depot exploded, frying the convoy's shields but doing nothing to the star destroyer (the explosion also severely damaged the ships of the convoy) and the explosion was too far away to affect Mara's ship, let alone the asteroid field.

Then the star destroyer began to open fire on the convoy and destroyed it quickly. Mara got a lock on the star destroyer, the moment it jumped into hyperspace she would track it.

_Aboard The Star Destroyer _

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood with his hands clasped behind his back, staring out of the bridge triangular view ports aboard his new flagship, _Conquest_. The deceased Emperor had assigned him to oversee the production of their new weapon (which sounds a little odd if you think about it and makes Thrawn seem like an absolute lunatic) yes, and he had checked on the progress which was very far along, the engineers were simply trying to get it operational, they didn't really have to spend a lot of time working on it anyway since it was near completion before Emperor Palpatine was killed. Anyway Thrawn had been told about this convoy as they had successfully succeeded in hacking into the Imperial computers and accessed classified travel routes, again. Thrawn did not want to miss the chance at a little military action; one must keep their skills sharp.

"Admiral," Addressed a voice from behind him. Thrawn turned to see the captain of the _Conquest_, Captain Velorous.

"Yes captain?" Thrawn asked.

"Where shall we set the hyper space computers to, back to Byss?"

"Tell me captain, do you not think that this victory was a little to… simple?" Thrawn asked, completely ignoring Velorous's question.

"With your military genius sir, I hardly think so." Velorous replied, irritated that they still had no course set.

"Of course it was easy to destroy the convoy. That is not what I mean captain. I am asking you if you thought it was too easy to find this convoy."

"No, we hacked into the Imperial database and accessed the highly classified routes."

"Highly classified, one would think if the route for the path of a weapon like that would not even be recorded."

"Are you suggesting this could be a set up?" Velorous asked, he certainly would not have thought of it.

"I am not sure. But I believe they must have a cloaked ship somewhere out there that will attempt to track us when we leave."

"We could set several random jumps sir."

"They would expect that captain, and be well prepared for it. Where would you say the most likely place for a cloaked ship to hide is?"

Velorous looked out into space for a moment.

"That asteroid field, perhaps."

"My thoughts as well,"

"But could a ship small enough to hide there have a cloaking device?"

"It is entirely possible. We'll have employ our full sensor scan, that should be able to detect any ship that small with a cloaking device."

Velorous looked down at the crew. "Well you heard the admiral, commence with the scan!"

They waited for a moment until an officer looked up.

"Our scanners detect a faint electronic presence; there is a ship out there sir, no bigger than a shuttle."

"Interesting," Thrawn commented. "What is your suggestion on the course of action captain?"

"That's not really my decision is it?" Velorous was tired of these games.

"No, your opinion would be appreciated."

"I suppose then that we should send out a party of TIE interceptors and give them the suspected coordinates of the ship."

"See to it that it happens."

XxX

Something was wrong; the star destroyer had not jumped to hyperspace yet. One thought went through Mara's mind, they had detected her, but that was impossible, she had a cloaking device and they would have had to do a full power sensor sweep to see the electronic presence of her ship, and they wouldn't do that unless they _knew_ she was there which was impossible, or not. On her radar she could clearly see two dozen TIE interceptors closing in on her position in an inverted wedge formation. What the hell?

She switched on the secure comm line to ask Admiral Piett what to do.

"Piett this is Mara, I have twenty four in coming interceptors. I think they found me."

"That is impossible." Piett's voice said back, distorted by a slight bit of static, for an asteroid field the transmission was pretty good. "They would have to know you were there to detect you."

"Well the interceptors are coming, apparently they do. So what should I do?"

"You'll have to abort, set a course in hyperspace for the _Executor_."

"Now Mara!" Ravan's voice pushed.

"Alright, switching off cloaking shield and calculating hyperspace route."

Mara's ship detached from the asteroid. The interceptor's immediately opened fire, but thanks to her fast computer Mara was already bound for the _Executor._

Bridge, _Conquest_

"Well you were right admiral." Velorous said with a bit of surprise in his voice, though he knew he shouldn't have been. Thrawn's predictions on these military strategies usually turned out near precise.

"Excellent captain, now you may set a course for Byss."

**_I tried capturing the true essence of Thrawn here (by the way I had to give him a different ship since the Chimaera is in Daala's fleet, remember Pellaeon brought it) but since I am no military genius myself I don't know if I did it well enough. Though I did hit spot on Thrawn's ability to take other's suggestions, even though Thrawn suggested the captain suggest on what they should do. Anyway tell me what you think, in other words REVIEW. That is all. _**


	4. Backup Plan

Chapter 4: Backup Plan

_Executor,_ Ravan's Quarters

Ravan and Mara sat eating dinner; the _Executor_ had plenty of food in her galley. Mara went with a large Nubian chicken salad, while Ravan had gone with a nice juicy bantha steak and some Nubian pears. Both had settled on Corellian wine. Mara took a sip of hers and put it down. Neither she, nor Ravan were in a very good mood, and the velvet sofas in the living area were feeling their anger in the form of frost about their cushions.

Admiral Piett was unhappy as well, though he was dining in his own quarters tonight which were warm and toasty since he had no control on the Force. Mara looked up at Ravan.

"You remember the backup plan?"

"The one where we go see Alecto? Yeah, I remember it." Ravan replied.

"Good. I think we should employ it."

"As if my father would let us go," Ravan puffed.

"I'm on this ship, aren't I? That proves something. We might as well ask."

"Tomorrow, I had to fill out a report on our failed mission and I have a headache."

XxX

Vader was going soft or something. He agreed to let Mara and Ravan go to Rhen-Var with barely any protesting. Clearly he had either overlooked or did not care about their failed mission report. Otherwise he was so ticked at something else that he didn't have time to try and prevent Mara and Ravan from being alone together. Either way they were setting off to Rhen-Var in Ravan's ASAT, today. Ravan left Admiral Piett in charge of further affairs, since they had been out in deep space for about two days now Piett was heading back to Coruscant after Ravan and Mara jumped to hyperspace. They headed to their ship down a giant procession of storm troopers and officers. Ravan allowed Mara entry first, trying to be some sort of gentlemen; Mara smiled playing the proper part of the lady and went in. Ravan after her (this of course was all done with playful sarcasm) both entered the cockpit and Ravan took off. Heading out into space and then making the jump to light speed. The _Executor _probably followed suit fifteen minutes after.

It would take them a day at least, from their present position to reach Rhen-Var; they had to travel a little less then three fourths of the galaxy. Mara sat gazing at the star lines with her feet propped up, Ravan simply sat.

"I'm tired of these Loyalists." Mara said after a while. "First it was the Rebel Alliance that was against us, now it's a band of our own who claim to be the true Imperials that we are fighting against."

"With one difference,"

"What's that?"

"They've got a hell of a lot more fire power than the Alliance ever did. Plus they were led by Kallisto, she was like a psychopath."

"Yeah she was," Mara agreed anger flourished its flaming sword inside her. "But you didn't know her when we were working with Admiral Daala."

"Ah yes, Admiral Daala. She blew up the Death Star and had Coruscant in her grip. I'd rather have the _Knight Hammer_ as my ship than the _Executor_."

"Here's to that. Piett's a good Admiral, but a bit stuffy and boring."

"Daala is not?"

"Of course she is, but she's a far better Admiral."

"Yeah, well," Ravan glanced at the ships chrono, nearly eleven at night. "I'm going to bed. I have an extra bunk in there…"

"I know, I have the same kind of ship. You know… the extra bunk folds in, so it's not as comfortable as the main bunk."

"What are you suggesting?"

XxX

Rhen-Var looked exactly like its climate description, ice and snow. From space its surface was blindingly white, dotted here and there with large blue areas, which were frozen lakes. Mara and Ravan sat in the cockpit of Ravan's ASAT, it was about seven in the morning and both of them had just awakened due to the beeping of the hyperspace alert function of the ship. They were both still pulling their clothes on.

"So," Ravan said, drinking some coffee and pulling on his dark robe. "Alecto tell you where her base is?"

"Not exactly."

"Huh?"

"She gave me this," Mara said, producing a datapad from her bag of personal items, such as clothing, an assorted arsenal of deadly weapons that included a lightsaber and a poison dart pistol, the usual.

"What's that?"

"The exact latitude and longitude of her base," Mara replied. She inserted the jack of the data pad into the navi computer. Something sprang up on a flat screen on the dashboard, it asked for an encryption key password.

"She's really secretive huh?"

"Yeah," Mara replied, typing some random code in that no one would ever guess, it was something along the lines of "QWERT//: C//: CLEARENCE+ALPHA+B12MARAJ".

A geographic map of some landform on Rhen-Var then appeared, it looked like a large cluster of mountains, a red dot marked the exact location of the hanger bay to the base, which seemed to be under the mountain, or in it. Ravan set the ship to auto pilot, the coordinates on the datapad plugged into its computer.

They both kicked back as the ship entered the atmosphere and headed to its designated location. About five minutes later they found themselves zooming about some ancient ruins and then entering the mountain range behind it. Minutes later they were circling above the highest peak in the entire cluster. They waited for some sort of signal.

"What's taking so long?" Ravan asked.

"The ship isn't recognized probably, they're plugging the ID into their database to find a match, when they don't they'll contact us."

"She has communications?"

"Yeah, she's kind of in the business of dealing with other black market people genius."

"Why didn't we tell her we were coming?"

"Alecto is obsessed with security. After the Loyalists attacked her base on Cato Neimoidia she moved here. She uses a planetary comm system that is nearly undetectable, plus any conversations broadcasted over the line are encrypted double fold. It's impossible to contact her unless you know a certain code. She only gives the code out to her most trusted associates…"

"How come you don't have the code?"

"I told you, she's overly obsessed with security…"

Just then a signal on the dashboard that was designed to alert the pilot of an incoming transmission went off. Ravan answered the call.

"We have you in the scope of a proton torpedo launcher, state your identity and business of be shot down, you have two minutes." A cold sounding voice said.

"Wow." Was all Ravan could manage, thankfully not in the comm. Mara spoke into it instead.

"This is Mara Jade, Alecto gave me confirmation."

"Hold a moment." The voice said and went silent. Seconds later a feminine voice came over the speaker.

"This is Volla Melvaad, Alecto's second in command. I hold before me a list of confirmation codes to her clients and respected partners; if your code matches we'll allow you to land."

"Relaying the code now." Mara said. And then she began to recite yet another random code that she had apparently committed to memory. "Confirmation alpha, foxtrot, zero nine dash forty seven Mara J."

"That's correct." Volla said. "You're cleared to land, opening hanger doors.

Ravan was stuck with the immediate sensation of _huh?_ He looked down at the mountain side, a large portion of which… opened. The hanger was well hidden, that impressed him that smugglers had so much money as to take those sorts of measures. He took the ship down into the place; it was crowded with everything from transport ships half the size of Corellian Corvettes, to Skipray blastboats. Ravan brought the ASAT in between a Z-95 headhunter, and a viper starfighter. He flicked a switch and listened as the hydraulic systems lowered the boarding ramp. He and Mara stood up and headed down the ramp.

Alecto, dressed in her usual black garb and the long leather jacket greeted them. Her hair was in its usual style, a long ponytail with two cornrows going back just above the ears and turning into two braids. Next to her was another woman, Ravan and Mara both noticed something odd about her right from the start. She was a tall woman, with the oddest colored eyes. They were sort of like a light black, or a dark, dark red. Also her skin was noticeably pale as though she was ill and the dark side of the Force surrounded her. Yet her aura in the Force was gray, not black or white. It made no sense. Ravan and Mara both kept this between themselves.

"Welcome Mara, and Lord Ravan." Alecto said in her accented voice. "This is my second in command, Volla Melvaad."

So she was Volla Melvaad, the one who had spoken with them on the comm. Ravan and Mara greeted both of them accordingly.

"So Alecto," Mara said. "This is a nice place you got here, how did you get so much stuff?"

"We're no longer in the smuggling business, well we are… but we're not."

"What do you mean?"

"We sell weapons to private buyers and get large sums of money back. Tis a very profitable career, more so then smuggling."

"Interesting," Ravan commented. "You're doing this behind my father's back."

"Don't go accusing me of nothing boy!" Alecto snapped, perhaps she had not gotten over the time Ravan parried a blast bolt into her leg. "Of course I'm not selling behind de Empire's back! I got an agreement signed by Vader himself, you wanna see it? Mmm?

"That won't be necessary." Ravan said.

"I thought it wouldn't be. Down to business, why are you two here?"

"We're here because we need information." Mara said.

"If I can I will be more then happy to give you some."

"With all your underworld contacts we figured you would know something about the Loyalists."

"De Loyalists eh, nope, don't know much about those bastards except that they drove me off Cato Neimoidia, attacking me for Kallisto."

"I thought they wanted information on Kallisto." Ravan said.

"Same story, different versions. Both are true. Now I don't know much about them, but it is possible I will soon find out. We've got our technicians working on getting information from the hard drive of Kallisto's personal computer. It is encrypted and requires a code key, my techs say they are close the cracking it. Perhaps you could stay a while."

"We'd have to clear it with Vader." Mara said.

"I understand. Would you like a tour of this place when you're done?"

"Alright."

And so they contacted Vader who reluctantly agreed to let them stay, they then took the tour of the base with Alecto. Very high tech, lots of security in place and huge storage rooms full of all sorts of black market weapons.

Coruscant

There was a tall sliver colored building near the black spiked mushroom that was the Imperial palace. This building housed hundreds of apartments where the wealthy, militaristic, and all around important Imperial people stayed. But there is only one reason this building had any value whatsoever to Darth Dementra as she flew towards one of its hangers in an unmarked civilian interstellar craft. Its value was that its basement was large enough to connect with the Imperial palaces. Of course what use was that? There was no entrance from the apartment's basement into the palaces, at least no… man made entrance. Twelve hours ago an accident had been logged in the Imperial database, Dementra, being the successful hacker she was knew this. It seemed a small furnace in the palaces basement had… exploded, no probable cause had been determined but Dementra didn't really care. She was going to infiltrate the palace that way, then commence the plan of attempting to assassinate Vader.

Of course there was a squad of storm troops guarding the basement, and more than likely a few guarding the gaping hole in its wall. Those basements were old, built up on so many subbasements as well and finally touching the surface. It wasn't a surprise this accident had happened; whatever caused it was a stroke of luck. Dementra's ship landed in the hanger, she exited it dressed in a civilian cloak, under which she wore a stealth suit. She was headed to attempt to assassinate Vader, then to rescue Kallisto.

**_REVIEW please! Next update might take a while though. _**


	5. Infiltration

**_I know this story has just started and not a lot of my frequent readers know about it but come on! Especially since I know this story has gotten hits. By the way my other Alias fic has more hits than this one! Come on people, I need reviews, they are what keeps me going, if I don't get any then my Alias fic gets more chapters._**

Chapter 5: Infiltration

Draped in her civilian garb Dementra walked down a corridor towards the turbo lifts. She looked at the two storm troopers guarding them in dismay. Sure she could kill them, no problem, what was the problem was how it would affect her infiltration of the palace. She knew much of the Force, she was a Nightsister of Dathomir after all and she was naturally Force sensitive but right now she had really only mastered offensive powers (breaking one major Jedi rule by the way, the Force is an ally, not a weapon) and not the more subtle techniques, like mind tricks for example. She did know enough, maybe if she was lucky…. She reached the turbo lifts; a trooper stopped her with an outstretched hand.

"Halt," He said in a dull, emotionless tone. "State your identification and apartment number."

"You don't need my identification." She said to the trooper, sending a Force suggestion out to both. They both looked at each other for a moment, damn it! It hadn't worked, and now would come awkward questions and eventually she would have to decapitate both of them.

"We don't need your identification." The trooper said, thank the FORCE!

"You will allow me to pass." Dementra said, concentrating hard.

"You may pass." The trooper said, opening the lift for her. She stepped in. Her hand flew to the subbasement button, but they stopped her which made her eyes go sickly yellow. Hopefully they didn't notice.

"We will need to log what floor you go to, security purposes."

"The floor I go to is irrelevant; you can make an exception this time."

"The floor you go to is irrelevant; we can make an exception this time."

"Thank you both, you've been very helpful." Dementra said her finger hit the subbasement button and the doors of the lift slid shut, nearly causing the trooper to lose his hand. Dementra scanned the interior of the lift. There was a security camera, nicely hidden also, she couldn't take off her civilian garb off here, she had to wait until she entered the careless basement. Though not because she didn't want mate-less storm troopers staring at her semi naked body (she had a stealth suit on under her civilian disguise anyway) but because it would look slightly suspicious to see a woman pull off her clothes in a turbo lift.

She felt to car stop, the doors pulled back into a dimly lit huge room with dozens of corridors leading out of it. She exited the lift, and then heard the unmistakable clinking of blaster rifles being pulled out of their holsters. She turned, finding herself facing two storm troopers, damn imperials. The next thing she knew she was in the sights of two black deadly guns, each pointing at her chest.

"State your business." A trooper said. Dementra reached out with the Force, sensing her surroundings, searching, searching. The results came, there were not cameras, this was a subbasement after all, probably a hundred years older than the actual basement, since this had the look of an old shopping place to it was probably its own building before it was doubly fortified and the apartment place built on top of it. So Dementra could just kill these sorry men.

"Alright, I confess. It is my intention to infiltrate the Imperial palace, kill Emperor Vader, get myself thrown into prison and then rescue a very important Loyalist member and probably spill your slimy red guts all over this floor. Understand?"

Both troopers exchanged looks, apparently deciding whether or not the woman before then was completely insane or serious. Dementra didn't give them the chance, calling her red blade to her hand she cut it across each trooper's stomach in one swift stroke; both fell to the floor dead. Well apparently she wasn't going to spill their slimy red guts all over the floor, nor was she going to kill Vader, just attempt to.

Dementra began traversing the corridors of the subbasement, sensing for any life forms mainly the storm troopers who were supposed to be guarding the giant hole in the wall. This place was much more massive than she could have fathomed. It must have been a good hour before she finally sensed life. She headed towards it, coming up on a small band of homeless hobos, gathered around and ancient heater and roasting what looked like decapitated rats on long metal wire. They looked at Dementra when she entered.

Before she knew it they were all over her, begging for all sorts of things, food, water, clothing, soap, anything. She yelled at them the back off she even tried insulting a few and kicking a child in the face but they still kept on her. Finally she activated her lightsaber, they all jumped a foot back except one. He appeared to be the leader; she guessed this since her was wearing more than ragged pants and had a ancient looking blaster with him, probably one that still ran on a combination of laser and gas that shot solid bullets by the look of it.

"You better back up off me!" She snapped at him. He didn't, he just stood there like some stupid dog.

"Now listen! I need to know where the hole is that leads into the Imperial palace's basement, in exchange I'll give all of you food."

"Dangerous business be dat woman." A man said whose dirty long hard had formed into matted dread locks. "De white monsters be guardin' that place. They be shootin' lightning from they weapons like you's lightning sword."

"So you do know where it is." Dementra said.

"Aye woman, we be knowing where dat place is, but it not be up to us to decide if you be going dere. Tis up to Arkvoo."

"Arkvoo?"

"I is Arkvoo." Said the guy with the ancient blaster. "How is I to be knowing if dis promise of good food is not being a trick?"

Dementra took a closer look at… Arkvoo (who the hell named him that?) it seemed dread locks and corn rows were the fashion among these hobos, their leader had a mixture of both, and he smelled the worse too.

"I never said the food was _good_, but it's not rotten."

"Not rotten is being good fool." Arkvoo said. "We be eating rats, does you think we be caring about what food taste like? Outrageous! In order for us to be taking you to the white monsters you will show us de food."

"No, you either take the food without question after you take me to the… white monsters or I find alternative forms of persuasion."

"Outrageous! You be showing us de food or it no deal!"

"Take me there and you get the food. That's one."

"Outragerous!"

"That's two."

"Papa, papa," Whispered a little child to his father. "What she doing?"

"Being a witch, like dem other upworlders."

"That's three, you've had three chances. Now I'm going to get angry, you won't like me then."

"Outrageous woman! You know who you talking wit, eh? I Arkvoo, god of de hobos."

"Can you deflect lightning oh great god?"

"Wha'?"

Dementra extended her hands and sprayed Arkvoo with a light dose of Force lightning, it sent him falling to the ground, cringing in pain. She directed another blast at their heater which exploded sending pieces of white-hot flak flying into peoples back, one even killed the child she had kicked in the face. She finished her display of power with the grand finally of picking every hobo up with the Force and then dropping them. Her eyes became a red brimmed yellow and her pupils turned to slits. She looked around as the hobos stood up, she expected them to attack her but instead they looked upon her in awe. Several began to bow.

"She be a goddess! Goddess of lighting and wind!"

"You will take me to where the hole in the wall is Arkvoo, or I will kill every single one of you! I'll rip your scalps off by those locks!"

"I…" Arkvoo said. "I will take you dere, your power is outrageous oh great goddess! Your gammer is well spoken too!"

"Grammar." Dementra corrected.

"Grammer," Arkvoo echoed. "Come wit me oh great goddess of lightning!"

Dementra followed the poor spoken man down corridor after corridor, by about the seventeenth or so she was seriously contemplating ripping out first Arkvoo's entire skeleton, then internal organs and muscles (or what was left of them after bones tore through) with the Force. But by them time she rounded the corner to her right she could sense a life form, storm troopers. The man led her into a wider hallway which opened into a small storage room, piled high with boxes, Dementra could sense the trooper behind the boxes, guarding the hole in the wall, others patrolled the room behind him but if she did anything they would not be close enough to hear, so long as he didn't squeeze off a blaster shot. Better to not take that risk. She turned to the man with the name that inspired anyone to laugh at its sound.

"You've been most helpful."

"Dere be an reward for my troubles eh?"

"Sadly no." Dementra said, reaching out she wrapped the Force around his neck and began to squeeze it, cutting off his supply of air. "I have no more use for you."

The man's eyes bulged, his face turned purple and he gulped for a taste of air. When he didn't get it his body went limp and Dementra dropped him turning on her heel she headed towards the crate, she found a gap in between them and looked through, there was indeed a storm trooper. She had an idea, pursing her lips together and making a little gap between them she blew out air, whistling. The trooper snapped to attention, having heard it.

"What was that?" He asked himself, heading around the crates. Dementra stealthily climbed on top of them and into the shadows. The trooper walked behind the rows of boxes, where Dementra had been mere seconds ago and looked around. "I know I heard something…"

Dementra pulled a vibro knife from a sheath on the right side of her shin and switched it on. The trooper walked past the position she had been in on the ground and stopped, briefly she though a single word, _moron,_ and then she jumped down behind him, so quiet he didn't even hear her, reaching her hands outward she grabbed him and pulled him to her, ripping his helmet off and putting the vibro knife to his neck in one swift stroke.

"Stay quiet." She said. "You don't want you life ended by a woman."

"You—"

"Ah, ah, ah," She purred brining the singing blade into his neck, just so it scraped the skin. "Quiet, now tell me how many troopers are guarding the basement."

"I don't know! Let me go now!" He snapped in a hushed whisper.

"No, give me some useful piece of information now."

"Well… my shift ends in five minutes; perhaps you could knock me out and take my armor, or you could keep me awake and you could have all my clothes."

"Then I'd have to undress myself, that's not happening, but I like the part about taking your armor. I think I'll do that and leave when your shift ends."

"You will take it from my unconscious body, right?"

"Mmm." Dementra hummed, the trooper tried to utter one last word before she twisted hard and snapped his neck. She dropped his lifeless corpse and quickly stripped him of his white shell, putting it on herself and hiding the lightsaber in the breast plate she stood up, grabbed his blaster, walked over to the gaping hole in the wall and pretended to guard it. Seconds later another trooper addressed her.

"Private!" He said crisply. She turned around and saluted him.

"Yes sir." She said, her voice filtered through the helmet sounded precisely identical to his.

"Your shift is over, get to your bunk."

"Yes sir." She repeated and headed off. It was practically impossible to see through the tinted visor, why the hell did anybody ever think it was a good idea to outfit troops that actually fought in combat with helmets that provided poor vision? Whatever the reason Dementra didn't care, she sensed her way to the turbo lift, which was to one that led to the tower of Vader's throne room. She stepped in and pressed the top floor button.

While the turbo lift began its descent she tossed of her helmet and armor, dressed in her stealth suit once again, except she still kept on the storm trooper boots as she had to discard her own before putting those on which was bad since they could construct a DNA profile from any sweat inside them… it wasn't as though they would ever find anything vital anyway as her mission was to get captured. The doors pulled back before her and she entered the throne room, stepping onto a bridge over a giant pit. Two red guards were behind her. She sensed them engage the lethal function of their Force pikes and tossed them into the pit with a mere wave of her hands, one guard managed to get hold on a ladder a bit further down and began to pull himself up tiredly. The room was then silent, save the deep rasping, mechanical breathing of Darth Vader who stood at the edge of the steps atop the platform that held his throne. He looked down at Dementra.

"Impressive, you are one of the Nightsister clan of Dathomir I sense, and an assassin. The Force serves you well, how did you manage to gain entry to this place?" Vader asked.

"The hole in the basement." Dementra replied.

"Ah yes, it seems I will have to rebuff my security measures down there and kill the squad of guards on duty there, unless you already did it."

"I killed one, but you won't be able to kill the rest because you'll be dead in a minute."

"We'll see assassin, we will see."


	6. Rescue

_**Note: Vader will find out Padmé is alive in the seventh chapter, just so you know and don't think I'm going to throw it out there in the sixty ninth chapter or something (but we'll never get to a sixty ninth chapter).**_

Chapter 6: Rescue

Vader fell backward over the railing of the platform and towards the floor. Dementra watched in horror, she had failed! When Vader's head hit the solid ground he would die, when the deceased Emperor first came to her and her master Xarkun he had specifically said Vader was his to kill and anyone who defied that would die a thousand deaths. Vader for the first time felt his dark heart fill with horror as well, he would die, and little did he know it would have been because of a grave error, just like Padmé's death so long ago. The name Padmé opened something in him, something powerful and at the last possible second he righted himself and landed on his feet. He looked up at Dementra.

"Impressive, most impressive, but you are not a Sith Lady yet." He said.

"_Yet_." Dementra echoed leaping down behind Vader who spun swiftly to face her. Their scarlet blades or raw energy met, clashing with bursts of lightning and thunder, the sabers locked, Dementra had the upper hand. Gradually she pushed Vader's blade towards him, never intending to actually kill him. At the last moment she gave up and allowed Vader to Force push her. She landed near the reactor pit. When she leaped up and was on her feet she found a chair hurtling towards her. She grabbed it with the Force and tossed it into the pit, nearly knocking off the red robed guard that was still climbing the ladder, force pike in hand.

The next thing that came at her was Vader's lightsaber itself. She had a difficult time parrying it as it was spinning. It gave up and flew back to its master who caught it in mid flip. Vader landed in front of Dementra and swiped at her legs, she jumped and kicked him in the shoulder. He stepped back as she landed but continued to deliver a reign of vicious blows noticing the red robed guard climbing the ladder. For the first time in a long time he let the Force guide his blade as he reached out to the guard.

"_Set your pike to stun. The first chance you get, use it." _Vader mentally told the guard.

"_As you wish Lord Vader."_ The guard thought, Vader was able to pick it up.

However the moment he returned to concentrating on the duel Dementra gained the upper hand. At Vader's last upper handed strike to her head she blocked his blade and kicked him in the stomach, sending him back. Without even thinking she swung her blade, it dug a centimeter into his shoulder before she realized what she was doing and pulled back. Vader back stepped twice, holding his shoulder. Pain shot up and down (what was left of) his arm. He looked up at Dementra and behind the mask his eyes flashed yellow. He saw the guard had reached the top of the ladder and was slowly creeping towards Dementra.

"Very good." He complimented Dementra. "You know what you're doing woman, I'll tell you that."

"Damn straight I'm good."

"Yes, you are good. But I am better."

"In what way?" She asked as the guard stopped behind her and pulled his Force pike back, then he jabbed it into her leg, electricity pulsed throughout her body and knocked her unconscious. She fell to the ground, dropping her lightsaber.

"I'm smarter." Vader answered her quietly, he looked to the guard. "Take her to a maximum security cell in the palace's prison block, search her well and take any weapons she has concealed, then call in a team of engineers and fix that hole in the subbasement."

"Yes sir!"

XxX

Oddly enough Dementra wasn't strapped down to a torture bed when she awoke an hour or so later. That doesn't mean she wasn't on one, she was, just not strapped to it. Slowly feeling returned to her hands, arms, legs, and entire body. She sat up, finding that she was in a small torture cell with just a cold metal bed. They had apparently searched and changed her since she was wearing only a pair of gray shorts and a matching shirt with a number in the right corner, her identification number. Apparently her new name was Prisoner 468722. She looked up at the corner of one of the walls, a camera. This was used to record sessions for future reference but somebody was probably monitoring them. Great, now she would be tortured, who pushed her into this mission anyway? Or did she volunteer? She couldn't remember.

Her head snapped to the direction of the door as it burst open and Darth Vader walked in. He planned to add injury to… insult and injury. He walked up to her, she noticed the door remained open; Vader apparently caught her eye line, she felt the Force pushing her onto the metal slab. She didn't resist, when her limbs were into position large metal binders locked themselves over her wrists and ankles, securing her well.

"I will ask you once before I move to alternative forms of persuasion. Who sent you?" Vader asked emotionlessly and quiet simply.

"My name is Darth Dementra. That's all you're getting."

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Vader said. Dementra craned her neck to see a spherical shaped, black, and shiny droid enter the room with dozens of implements attached all over its dark shell used for _persuading_ people to talk. Dementra snorted, probe droids, that was the first method of torture she was trained against, at least the truth serum was. She was never trained to fully resist all of their methods. She watched as Vader pulled two breaker cords out from one side of the droid and clipped each of them to jutting metal pegs welded to her foot restraints. Vader let the droid near her and it squirted her legs with some sort of cold gel.

"That is a highly conductive liquid metallic particle gel." Vader explained, flicking a red switch near where the breaker cables exited the droids side. Dementra noticed a small knob next to it that measured voltage. She never knew the probe droids had a shock function like that, or maybe this one was customized. "I'll ask you again, who sent you?"

"My name is Darth Dementra. That's all you're getting." Dementra repeated her earlier statement. Vader shook his helmeted head and turned the knob three fourths of the way around. Nothing happened.

"Consider your position. This voltage power will not kill you, but it will make you wish it would."

"Try me."

Vader's thumb pressed the knob in, electricity began coursing through Dementra's veins and through her black heart.

XxX

Dementra woke up the next morning on a cold bench in a musty, wet cell. Her ankles had red burn marks around them from the night before. She stood up stiffly and stretched, her ankles didn't hurt. She could block the pain with the Force. That was some session Vader had put her through, it had lasted at least two hours, probably more. Yet the most he got from her was her name. That's it. Dementra's stomach growled. She was hungry. Sitting down on the floor, damp with who knows what she tapped into the Force, using a technique she had learned she calmed her growling stomach, the hunger faded.

From what she had heard all dangerous prisoners get at least five minutes of time outside their cell to do something. All she really had to do was wait.

XxX

Indeed she was allowed some leisure time. After Dementra's _gourmet _lunch was served she was led out of her cell and into a huge, white, circular room with no windows and a view of the sky through a transparisteel dome. Up on the wall was a sniper deck and a white armored scout trooper was looking down upon Dementra as well as the other dozen female prisoners.

This leisure room was not well furnished. There were three All In One wait sets and a ball court that was extremely small, but that's it. Dementra looked around scanning the place for Kallisto. She found her sitting on a white bench opposite the sniper deck, looking up at the cloudy sky.

"Dementra." She acknowledged. Dementra sat next to her.

"Kallisto."

"I assume you're either here to kill me or rescue me. Get on with it, I hate this place."

"I'm here to rescue you."

"Good, you have a plan, because I've got six."

"Yeah, I got a plan."

"What?"

"We're starting a riot."

Kallisto quirked her eyebrows, Dementra reached down to her shin, the guards hadn't searched her well, under a fake layer of skin she had hidden a micro cable shooter. She peeled the layer off quickly, attracting no attention and picked up the small pen shaped micro cable shooter. She took careful aim at the sniper and clicked the blood red fire button. The cable launched out of the tip of the small rod, led by a grappling hook, claws in. It cut right through the guard's neck and came out the other side, red with blood, the grapples extended. Dementra yanked hard and the guard fell off the balcony, she quickly recalled the cable as an alarm flared to life and storm troopers entered. She extended her hands and began to spray them with Force lightning as the prisoners rushed to beat the ones she missed. Once a few of them were armed a fire fight broke out. Dementra shot the cable up at the balcony again, this time it got hold of the rail. She and Kallisto held on and went up.

A hall led to the balcony and on either side it had unmarked doors, Dementra hadn't the slightest idea where they were, the blueprints she had obtained were faulty. Kallisto seemed to sense Dementra's dilemma.

"This is the guard corridor, it'll be empty now. They store prisoner's possessions in that room." Kallisto pointed to the furthest door on the left. "I'd like my smart disc back and I assume you came with weapons."

"Yeah."

"Let's go." Kallisto led the way to the door which was locked, but its system was so simple a Jedi padawan would have no trouble opening it with the Force. There might as well be a giant sign that said worst lock here! It was as though the lock itself was saying open me like this…. With a simple twist of concentration the door flew open. Kallisto went in first, Dementra followed hearing another alarm go off as well as faint blaster fire, she closed the door behind them.

Lockers bolted down to the floor lined the walls, each on had a specific number. Dementre saw her prisoner ID on one, and apparently so did Kallisto. Both walked up to their designated lockers and they opened easily, they had even worse locking mechanisms than then the door. Sure those locks would be impossible to pick but with the Force it was like reciting the alphabet. Dementra grabbed her stealth suit and other gear, including her lightsaber and slipped it all on. When she clipped her saber to her belt she looked back at Kallisto who stood in her own red suit, smart disc in hand. Dementra quirked an eyebrow.

"That thing really work?"

Kallisto smiled like she hadn't in a long time. She threw the disc, it whizzed past Dementra's hair cutting the tiniest strand of it off, it hit the wall and bounced back to Kallisto who grabbed it out of the air swiftly.

"How's that for an answer Nightsister?" Kallisto asked, putting the disk onto her belt. Dementra smiled then turned to the door noticing it had a particularly wide vent about it. With a flick of her wrist the grating popped off. She gestured to Kallisto.

"After you."

Kallisto obliged and leaped into the vent, Dementra did as well just as a third and final alarm sounded and the entire detention area went on lock down, Dementra heard a metal slab slam shut behind her, sealing off the vent. To bad they failed to catch them, not to bad for Dementra and Kallisto but to bad for whatever sorry officer had to report it to Vader.

Kallisto and Dementra made their way down the vents; Kallisto looked out each grate they passed. Finally she found a turbo lift lobby which had two storm troopers guarding it. Kallisto looked back at her partner. She nodded and pulled the grate off, jumping down she aimed one of her shiny blaster pistols at one trooper. Dementra pulled out her lightsaber.

"On your knees, hands behind your head." Kallisto commanded to the trooper who was staring down the barrel of her pistol. He dropped his weapon and got onto his knees. Dementra's was more stubborn; he kept his blaster rifle trained on her. Kallisto shot the kneeling one in front of her and tossed her smart disc at the other. It spun and crashed through his chest plate, killing him. Kallisto walked up to the turbo lift and pressed the up button. She called her smart disc back to her via the chip inside her forehead.

"Where can I get one of those?" Dementra asked.

"Trust me, you don't want one. The chip you need really causes some major headaches, mostly if you drink sugary stuff." Kallisto said as the doors opened. She shot a storm trooper neatly in the head that was standing there. Dementra entered first and pressed a button. The lift doors closed and they went out.

"You have a plan to—" Kallisto began being cut off by a sharp pain in her head. At first she thought it was the chip acting up, but then it came again and it felt as though a thousand little hands were tapping on her brain, looking for a way in. It was the Emperor; he was planting his subconscious in hers once more for minimal control as he never fully trusted her. He finally took hold, ripping into her mind.

"Kallisto?" Dementra asked. Kallisto shook her head.

"Got any organic cigarra's?"

"Uh, no." Dementra said.

"Damn it, they're good for you, cleanse your lungs and intestines."

"Huh?"

"Never mind, you got a plan to get out?"

"I was thinking we would steal a shuttle…"

"As good a plan as any."

"Is there something wrong?"

Of course there was! It was an odd thing, mixing two minds subconscious states, it was like mixing chemicals, two things make something new. Apparently Sidious's subconscious mixed with Kallisto's made a cursing, smart, militaristic, and cigarra smoking Kallisto.

"No." Kallisto said as the doors opened, they were facing four storm troopers. In a flash two white helmeted heads fell to the ground, the bodies after, Dementra pulled her humming red blade back and stabbed the third. Kallisto shot the fourth. They walked out into the hallway they circled the perimeter of the palace and led to several landing platforms. It didn't take long to find one that housed a Lambda class shuttle, however it was guarded by seven Storm troopers. Kallisto took out her second pistol which had a scope and was long range. She aimed at one trooper's head and shot. He went down and fell off the platform; it would take two minutes for him to hit the ground.

The remaining six troopers turned her way and opened fire. Holding her smart disc up she peeked around the corner and hurled it hard, it sang as it flew through the air, receiving signals from the chip in her forehead on which troopers to kill, three took cover behind the shuttle while the remaining three fell off the platform. Kallisto caught her smart disc and clipped it to her belt while drawing both blaster pistols. She looked to Dementra.

"Still three." She said.

"Damn it!" Dementra hissed. "We could both take care of them…."

"I don't have a lightsaber."

"Can't you use those pistols?"

"There's no cover!"

"Have… have you been taught to deflect blaster bolts with your hand?"

"No."

"I have, here," Dementra tossed Kallisto her cold saber, in a circular motion Kallisto caught it and lit it, a blood red blade extended humming with lethal power. "Use my lightsaber and I'll use…"

She looked around and saw the handle of a vibro blade poking out behind a giant sniper gun holster on Kallisto's back (unfortunately Kallisto had not been able to locate the rifle, but it could easily be replaced) Dementra grabbed the handle and pulled it out, it was so incredibly shiny it nearly blinded her.

"What the hell kind of assassin were you?"

"Close range," Kallisto answered. "Let's move."

They ran out onto the platform, the three troopers had abandoned cover. They opened fire, the one furthest to the right shot at Kallisto, she deflected the bolts with Dementra's lightsaber, and they flew back and hit the trooper in the chest. She ducked as an array of blast bolts shot over her, the middle storm trooper, and the left one was shooting at Dementra who was concentrating hard to block the bolts with her left hand. Kallisto pulled her right arm back and threw the saber, controlling its flight with the Force. It spun like a boomerang cutting the trooper shooting at her in half, the saber came back to her, she caught it, deactivated it, and pulled out her two shiny blaster pistols, opening fire and shooting the storm trooper seven times in the chest. Dementra took a moment to regain her breath from concentrating so hard and both sprinted rapidly towards the shuttle. When they got in Kallisto took the pilots seat priming the engines and closing the boarding ramp just as a dozen storm troopers ran out onto the platform.

"Damn it!" Kallisto cursed. "No time for pre flight inspection, I'm taking off!"

She ship lurched up, Dementra's cheek blood vessels popped out and her faced paled, she sensed the troopers had grabbed an anti aircraft gun. Reaching out with the Force she tossed it off of the platform, and all the troopers with it. She let a huge hurricane of air out that she hadn't known she was keeping, her face stayed white and her vessel's stayed out. Now she really looked like one of her clan. She looked at Kallisto as they exited the Coruscanti atmosphere and shot into space, in their path an entire fleet of star destroyers including the _Executor_. Kallisto immediately primed the jump for hyperspace.

XxX

"That shuttle out there." Admiral Piett said pointing to it. "Check its ID tags; make sure it isn't the one that was stolen."

"Aye sir!" Said the radar operator, he had an accent that that compelled him to say aye rather than yes. "Aye chief, that be it the stolen shuttle."

"Send out a squadron of TIE interceptors, disable the engines and bring it aboard."

But then it jumped to hyperspace.

XxX

Vader sat in his throne room, intently awaiting the arrival of the prison warden who was to give him a damage assessment of the riot. The door to the turbo lift opened and the man stepped out, Vader stood up as he ascended the steps. The warden bowed before Vader.

"What is the damage report warden?"

"I'm sorry sir," The warden began in an accent most high ranking imperial captains, generals, admirals or anybody really had. Vader hated sentences that started with an apology. His eyes flared yellow behind his mask. "We've quelled the riot, all prisoners are safely back in their cells, we've posted twenty storm troopers in the cell bay and all prisoners are accounted for… except for two."

"Which prisoners?" Vader asked, though he suspected the answer. He was slighting shaking in rage.

"Prisoner 468722, and prisoner 579086."

"Their names," Vader demanded.

"The Demon woman and Kallisto,"

"You've failed me for the last time warden." Vader said lifting a fist and using the Force as hard as possible to strange the man. "Now you will suffer the same fate as your staff,"

The man's eyes bulged before his throat gave a blood curdling crack. Vader dropped the body.

"Death, all will die." The man's body rolled down the stairs, landing with its face down. Vader looked to his guards. "Bring me every single storm trooper, chef, or anybody that was working in the cell area when the riot broke out! I am going to KILL them all!"

**_I know three of you have this story on your alert list. Give me some feedback people, please! By the way my Alias fic still has more hits than this, (also I now have a halfway concrete idea for another Vader/Padmé fic that also involves Darth Traya. I'll probably start it after I am done with my Alias fic which only has 10 chapters in it and I am on #6, and thanks to Anime-StarWars-fan-zach for helping me with that halfway concrete idea I have._**


	7. Livia

_**Please review! Feedback is greatly appreciated, I know three of you have this on your alert list so please review, reviews motivate me to type this fic, so does the love of Star Wars which I don't own by the way in case you didn't know but reviews are still good and I like feedback.**_

Chapter 7: Livia

When Mara and Ravan awoke on their second or third morning on Rhen-Var they engaged in their daily activities, they slipped out of their bed changed and took a shower… together and ate a nice breakfast of some sort of hash browns and beacon that came from a pig of Tatooine. Alecto reported to them her techs were close to opening Kallisto's hard drive but it would still take some time. They spent their day along side Alecto and Volla Melvaad who they kept noticing some strange Force sensitivity around, but it seemed almost natural, like it had been there long before her birth. It seemed so odd that at the end of the day they logged onto the Imperial database, they were convinced that Melvaad was a naturally Force using species, they did a search.

Nothing that fit the description of a pale white Force sensitive woman came back, and one that had a strangely dark aura around her. However there was one file that was classified to the highest level, the Imperials didn't want to public finding out about something.

Byss

Kallisto liked the throne room at the Imperial palace better than the one in the Emperor's Citadel on the planet Byss. It seemed a bit old fashioned to her. It was long with pillars on either side supporting its roof, at one end two tall double doors that she had just passed through along with Lady Dementra, at the other a high throne on which sat a man in black armored robes; his hood was pulled down, just covering his eye line. Kallisto had been in command of the Loyalists for a long while, the Emperor told her she was his last loyal hand and she had never met this man before. Apparently the Emperor was not as truthful as she would like. She and Dementra approached him, Kallisto with her moderate but limited training in the Force sensed an unmistakable bond between these two Sith, it was that of the master and the apprentice. So this was Dementra's mysterious master whom she had never met, she did know Dementra during her time with the Loyalists.

"Welcome to my Lord's domain Lady Kallisto." The man said. "It is a pity we never met before, my name is Lord Xarkun."

"I would like it better if you just called me Kallisto Lord Xarkun." Kallisto said icily. "I assume you're the Emperor's new vessel and the only reason you broke me out is because you still need me even though you assumed command of the Loyalists so get on with it, I need a cigarra!"

"I see the Emperor's subconscious is with you, mixing two minds is a curious thing indeed." Xarkun said he paused. "Yes my master." He said to no one. Suddenly he jolted horribly, and then fell limp, Kallisto thought he might have just suffered a heart attack, but then his head came back up and when he spoke the Emperor's voice escaped his mouth.

"Welcome back Kallisto. It is good to see you." The Emperor said through Xarkun.

"It's good to… hear you milord." Kallisto said, automatically bowing with respect since it was by the Emperor's will, and the Emperor's will controlled her subconscious making her much more prone to be respectful of him and follow his orders unquestionably (usually).

"We need information, a threat has risen to challenge our power, the threat will join us or die."

"Is it a Jedi?"

"No, it is one of the Witches of Dathomir, she is one of the Nightsister Clan."

Kallisto pulled her hand back and pointed her thumb at Dementra.

"She has already joined us a long time ago."

"I'm not speaking of her, wait until I finish or suffer the price."

Kallisto almost rolled her eyes but she complied without question.

"Her sister, Livia is working with your old comrades. They've moved their base from Cato Neimoidia, where have they gone?"

"Somewhere… there are a lot of possible places but Alecto is a bit of a security freak, do you know that when my daughter came to Cato Neimoidia she put her up to a bunch of tests?"

"Do not speak of your traitorous daughter in my presence. When would Alecto have moved her base?"

"Your best bet is probably Rhen-Var, we had a nice storage facility there for valuable items, lot's of hardcore weapons and stuff. I think Alecto has moved there, she was always a woman of profit and since I'm gone she'll have changed my business from smuggling to selling, she always bugged me about that and it annoyed the hell out of me."

"Excellent," The Emperor said through Xarkun.

"Excuse me? You think it is excellent that Alecto bugged the hell out of me?"

"Wait until I am finished speaking." The Emperor hissed. "Livia is there, Lady Dementra."

"Yes Lord?"

"Report to _Conquest_, tell Grand Admiral Thrawn he is to set out with whatever force he thinks necessary to extract Livia."

"As you wish milord, shall I go with the grand admiral?"

"Yes, bring your sister back alive."

"What about my old smuggler army?" Kallisto asked, feeling the slightest bit of pain at the fact that some of her friends might die.

"Kill them all, leave no survivors."

Rhen-Var

Alecto's secure communication system was slow, Mara and Ravan sat around the holoprojector waiting for someone to answer their calling. Finally a blue tinted transparent image of Darth Vader rose up on the projector, interrupted occasionally with small bursts of static but the secure channel they were on was otherwise pretty clear. The audio wasn't as good as the picture though.

"Lord Ravan, Mara," Vader acknowledged. "I have news."

Mara and Ravan exchanged looks, how ironic that Vader had news for them.

"Kallisto has escaped."

Perhaps Mara had not heard Vader correctly, did he just say Kallisto had escaped?

"What?!" Both Mara and Ravan cried in unison.

"A woman called Darth Dementra broke into the palace and tried to assassinate me, when she was captured she set off a prison riot and she and Kallisto escaped.

"Damn it!" Mara yelled. "If it isn't to much trouble Lord Vader I want to kill every single guard on post in the prison level during the time of the escape when I get back!"

"I've taken care of it. The fools had a painful death. We have no further information, we believe this is the work of the Loyalists, once again they elude us."

"Well our news kind of sucks compared to that." Ravan said.

"What news?"

"There's a woman in this base, we thinks she is a naturally Force using species but we don't know what she is." Ravan said.

"Interesting, describe what she looks like and how powerful she seems."

"That's just it, we don't know how powerful she is," Ravan said.

"Interesting, what does she look like?"

"She's pale white, and she has a dark Force aura around her." Mara said bitterly, ticked that Kallisto escaped though she could not put her finger on why she was so angry.

"Dark aura… natural Force user… pale white… a woman… interesting indeed. Did she look as though she used her dark power often, like the Emperor did?"

"No, only that white skin is that a sign?" Ravan asked.

"Perhaps… I believe I know what species she is but I can't be sure and it would not make much sense."

"What?" Mara and Ravan asked in unison, Ravan's voice had a curious tone; Mara's had a bitter edge.

"I believe she is one of the Witches of Dathomir, perhaps one of the Nightsister clan. Years ago the Emperor found this planet and discovered its naturally Force using species, he considered them a threat but could not wipe them out. They were primitive but had the potential to be space faring so he made sure they could never get into space and put a heavy blockade around Dathomir, I still have a fleet guarding it, but I wonder how she could have gotten off."

"You think she is one of the witches of Dathomir?" Ravan asked.

"I can't be sure, you—"

Then Vader's transmission went blank and his image disappeared. At the first moment Ravan assumed this had been a small fluke, that is until the power of the entire base flickered. Mara and Ravan looked at one another, sensing a disturbance in the darkness that was the Force. The door to the communications room pulled open and Volla Melvaad stepped in, the possible Nightsister. Mara and Ravan looked at her in confusion.

"We're under attack. There is an Imperial class star destroyer in space, we believe it is the Loyalists, they're jamming our communications."

XxX

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood with his hands behind his back on the bridge of the _Conquest_, his new star destroyer, but it would soon be replaced and when it was the Loyalists could launch their assault, but the was a while away, it couldn't be done until his new ship was completed which would be soon, the battle plans were already finalized, all that was left was for his ship's construction to be completed and the clones to reach the proper age which would be around the same time as his ship was completed.

He started down at Rhen-Var, he had already given the order to jam the communications of a base they had located, Kallisto had been correct. He would be sending down the raiding party immediately. He saw Dementra's reflection next to his in the transparisteel of the bridge view ports and turned to face her.

"I will be going down with the raiding party Grand Admiral." She stated.

"Excellent, you will do nicely as my ground commander."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, have a cell warm for my sister."

"Of course Lady Dementra, tell me, since I've blocked the communications for the base do you think they will be able to call for help, or have I eliminated that problem?"

"I'm not a military strategist, but I am an excellent leader so I don't know Admiral, have you?"

"Captain Velorous." Thrawn called. The young captain came to him.

"Yes Admiral?" He asked.

"Would you care to interject your opinion? Have I done enough to ensure that there is no possible means of communication for the smuggler band?"

"I don't think so sir, they could possibly bypass our jamming signal but that is a slim chance so perhaps…."

"Yes but there is a chance, so I haven't, what do you think would be the best course of action?"

"Destroying their communications array?"

"Precisely captain, Lady Dementra, please inform the TIE bomber captain that he is to locate and destroyer the communication array of the smuggler base, then you may proceed with attacking."

"Nice plan Grand Admiral, I never would have thought of that."

Coruscant

It was nearing midnight Coruscant standard time and Vader felt the need to meditate, after trying Ravan back he headed to his quarters which housed his meditation chamber, he assumed Alecto's communication array had suffered a malfunction or something else minor. He approached the door to his quarters, sensing a presence he had not felt since… could it possibly be? He picked up his step and entered his quarters expecting to find—

But there was no one there, he took a step in and something shiny caught his eye, it was a chain lying on the ground next to it lay a small slip of paper and on the paper was a locket. It haunted him to see it, it was the locket he had given Padmé so long ago on Tatooine, it smelled of her presence in the Force, he could sense her as clear as day, he looked at the paper. It had writing on it, he recognized it as Padmé's. It said quiet clearly _I know there is still good in you Anakin, but I am tired of waiting._

**_As promised there you go, yeah this wasn't exactly the biggest reveal in the world but hey there you go. _**


	8. She Is Alive

_**Hello, I would just like to note that the first scene with Vader coming up was actually going to end the chapter in my plot, but I thought it best to change it around and show you what Vader was going to do about Padmé and then have a big action sequence involving Alecto, Dementra, Ravan, Mara, and Livia end the chapter (in case anyone is confused Livia is Volla Melvaad but I doubt any of you are, just stating it for the record).**_

Chapter 8: She Is Alive

It was the last thing most crew members aboard the _Executor_ expected, for the Emperor Vader himself to walk upon the bridge (even though he had done it countless times before when Sidious was emperor). Admiral Piett turned and snapped to attention when he heard the mechanized breathing of the ruthless Sith Lord, he bowed before him.

"Lord Vader," He said rising. "This is an unexpected honor."

"Silence Admiral," Vader snapped, then in a lower tone he said. "I must discuss something with you, something only you can hear, where can we speak in private?"

"Well," Piett said thinking. "My quarters are sound proofed…"

"Very well."

XxX

Piett entered his private domain first, Vader followed and the door closed. The admiral turned around to look at Vader, waiting for him to talk.

"Sit down admiral." Vader ordered, Piett was a bit taken aback being asked to sit down in his own living area but he complied and sat down on his bare standard iron gray sofa. "What I am about to tell you Admiral must be held under the strictest confidence, you cannot tell anyone or I will kill you, not even your wife."

"Of course not Lord Vader, I will tell no one."

"Good or I will kill you."

"You already made that clear milord."

Vader pulled the pendant he had given Padmé when he was a child out of a pouch on his belt. He showed it to Admiral Piett.

"What exactly is that sir?"

"The pendant I gave Padmé Amidala when I was a child."

"The same Padmé you married sir?"

"Yes admiral, she was buried with it supposedly after…. I believe she is alive."

"I see… what is the hurt if anyone knows this?"

"I have many enemies admiral…"

"You're keeping this confidential to keep her safe, I see."

"Yes that is correct admiral. I checked the security recordings from the camera in my quarters; a probe droid that was too small to be detected slipped in through my window and planted this pendant on my floor. It left her note; I think she wants to be found."

"Has it occurred to you this could be a trap? The Loyalists might have set you up, they tried to kill you with that Demented woman."

"Dementra," Vader corrected. "And no, Padmé only ever wrote notes to me, everything else she had to draft on a computer, she was a queen and senator, I know her hand writing and it would be impossible for anyone to duplicate it because those notes she wrote to me don't exist anymore. I need to find her admiral."

"I see, what can I do?"

"I need to find evidence of her existence, I know where to start but I cannot be seen questioning the people I want to, I need some Imperial, not widely recognized but one I can trust."

"I am widely recognized milord and I should not be taken away from my search for the Loyalists, but I think I know of someone, Admiral Daala."

"She is searching for the Loyalists as well." Vader said.

"Yes but she is not widely recognized. I suggest you go to her for help, she could make it look as if she wished to question the people you want for her own reasons and no one would suspect a thing."

"I agree Admiral, call up the coordinates of the _Knight Hammer_ and I will leave immediately."

XxX

Alecto's base was totally on lock down, every smuggler was running around madly, the armory had been raided and several turrets had been set up (much to Alecto's dismay for they were on sale) in the hanger bay which housed the main door to the place, all they could do now was hope and pray to whatever gods or god they worshiped that the Imperials (the Loyalists anyway, whether or not they are true Imperials remains under debate) would not be able to gain entry for if they did… total carnage. What the hell did they want anyway?

Alecto, Mara, Ravan, and Volla Melvaad were huddled around the radar screen, red emergency lights casting eerie glows on them, they looked at the screens and then looked at one another, troop transports had just touched down at the base of the mountain, Alecto switched the screen to the three dimensional holographic look, everything blew and sprang upwards giving them a more clear view of what enemies they would be dealing with. The majority was storm troopers, as they would have expected, and there were many, they were greatly outnumbered but there were also several AT-ST walkers, these were all shown in a blue wire frame. They watched as the troopers began to ascend the mountain in hover transports. It would not take them long at all.

"Do you have any anti infantry or anti vehicles turrets you can deploy?" Ravan asked doubtfully.

"Only a few, twill do us no good though." Alecto said.

"It's better than nothing, deploy them." Mara said. Volla Melvaad pressed a series of switches on a control board nearby, a dozen or so hidden turrets sprang up marked in red wire frame. They all watched intently, it seemed the Loyalists had not picked anything up yet, they neared the turrets firing range… they were in! The majority of the turrets were in range, they opened and downed an AT-ST in the first wave. The moment it went down though every other AT-ST opened fire on the turret's positions. Several were hit and exploded. Alecto put her head inside her hands. Volla looked at her.

"We'll be alright boss, they aren't coming to kill us, I don't think."

"It's not that…"

"What is it?"

"Those turrets were as expensive as my shuttle and they were pieces of crap!"

"Oh." Volla said. The last of the turrets were destroyed. The Loyalist's only casualty so far, an AT-ST and a troop transport. They were still coming.

"Don't you have any more defenses?!"

"No," said a voice in the darkness. A man with green toned skin stepped into the light (since it was red light his skin looked darker of course) it was Zador, Kallisto's old secretary with the bad foot odor. "Miss Alecto was too concerned with supplies rather than security."

"Shut up Zador!" Snapped Volla Melvaad pulling a blaster. "I will kill you."

Zador jumped back and threw his hands up. "Sorry, just saying."

"That I'm a bad leader eh?" Alecto snapped.

"No, no, no of course not, I would never insult you."

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no, no, NO! No sarcasm about things like that."

"It wasn't sarcasm!"

"Now you are calling me stupid eh?"

"Of course not, I merely said—"

"I know what you said you pathetic little man! We are at war and I will kill you if you annoy me, you know what…" Alecto reached down and grabbed a blaster rifle from the floor and tossed it to Zador who barely caught it. "You best be participating in the battle."

"I'm a secretary!"

"And a lousy one, you don't type in yellow font!"

"I told you that I am partially color blind!"

"Can you see the white armor of a storm trooper?"

"Yes!"

"Then you'll do fine, go!"

"I told you I am a secretary!"

"I've had enough," Volla said pulling the trigger on her blaster pistol, the bolt hit Zador in the shin; he fell to the ground screaming. Some guards had stayed in the room with Alecto, they ran to Zador, scooped him up and hustled to deposit him in the infirmary.

"Now that that's over we should get back to business." Ravan said, aggravated. "The Loyalists will be coming in the hanger, I suggest we go there."

And so they did.

XxX

Ravan, Mara, Alecto, and Volla stood behind the first infantry line of Alecto's small force; they watched the main doors, waiting. Out of nowhere came a thunderous bang and the entire main door was dented in, everyone jumped. The meager force exchanged nervous glances, it was an AT-ST that had done that, likely three or more, there was no way they could stand up to that absolutely no way, this was pure suicide. Ravan grabbed his unlit lightsaber and held it at the ready, Mara followed suit. They watched the door for a few more moments until there was another deafening bang and the metal door blew open sending pieces of hot flak into several men.

Everyone looked at the door, it was thankfully only barely breached, and its opening was not large enough to accommodate an AT-ST, for moments it just sat there gaping and allowing cold snow and air entry, nothing, silence. Faintly through the whistling wind Mara heard a hydraulic system lower a ramp, she reached out with her senses as did Ravan (and Volla but very subtly) they all sensed masses of storm troopers heading to the door. The first three entered and opened fire but were cut down by the heavy laser fire of the turrets the men had set up, instead of more storm troopers pouring in about a dozen thermal detonators entered. Every smuggler ran for cover but the small metallic spheres detonated causing several ships to explode and killing several men, luckily Mara, Alecto, Volla, and Ravan had dived out of the way in time.

They peered up over the crates they had leaped behind, the blast had significantly increased the size of the hole, still not enough to accommodate even half of an AT-ST yet, that was good news, the bad news was a sea of storm troopers was pouring in. The majority of Alecto's men were still behind cover, they opened fire on the troops as they entered, several fell but the rest opened fire, almost instantly a volley of blaster fire was flying through the air and more troopers had leaked in, they were now taking cover. Alecto stood up from behind the crates and killed six, Volla did the same with the blaster rifle she had acquired and got two in the head. Mara and Ravan looked at one another.

"Ready farm boy?" She asked slyly.

"Oh yeah." Ravan said. In unison they activated their crimson blades and leaped over the pile of crates, landing in the zone of crossfire between the Loyalists and Alecto's men. They stood side by side flipping and whirling and slashing their blood red blades about, killing storm troopers with their own blaster shots and cutting down others. They did this for a long while and still more troopers poured in, then finally when the last turret operator died from a pot shot they could no long hold the line, Alecto, Volla and the men fell back, Mara and Ravan retreated quickly, a hurricane of blaster bolts narrowly missing them. Ravan was completely a hold of the Force, he sensed everything including the presence of an approaching Force user, then a blast bolt flying at his back, he leapt into the air and spun deflecting more blaster bolts and then landing behind a ship, Mara met him there.

More storm troops entered the hanger. Mara and Ravan looked at one another, sweat glistening on their foreheads.

"Do you sense that?" Mara asked.

"Yeah, the presence, I sense it."

They peered around the ship to find that a woman had entered draped in flowing dark robes and clutching a glowing red lightsaber, her features were remarkable similar to Volla's though she was much more pale and several blood vessels and veins were popping out on her face and hands. Volla came up beside them in a roll and opened fire on the woman who deflected the bolts back at her, she barely leapt behind the ship next to Ravan and Mara in time.

"Damn it!" Volla snapped.

"Who the hell is that?!" Ravan inquired loudly over the blaster fire.

"I'm not entirely—" Volla said cutting off to turn and blast several storm troopers, she retreated back as more came in, the men rushed to meet them.

"We need to take that woman out." Ravan said, but Mara was one step ahead of him. He peered around the corner to see Mara sprinting towards the woman. Mara held her lightsaber above her head and made the opening move of their battle in the form of an overhead strike which anyone would have been expecting from that stance, the woman parried easily. Ravan could not join Mara, he sensed something behind him and turned around swiftly to see that a phase one dark trooper was sneaking up behind him. The Loyalists had acquired phase one dark troopers!

Ravan looked at the droid; it had a long sharp blade welded to its right gauntlet and an energy shield humming on the other. Phase one dark troopers were powerful droid melee units whose armor was capable of deflecting blaster fire (to a small degree) and whose energy shield could deflect blaster bolts effectively as well as lightsaber strike. How in the world had the Loyalists acquired these? Dark troopers were being produced by Vader's empire, they had up to phase three, perhaps the Loyalists had discovered how to create them.

The dark trooper looked at Ravan, two more rounded the corner.

"Damn it." Ravan muttered and opened with a sideways blow, the unready dark trooper droid got the tip of its blade scorched, it struck back so fast Ravan could hardly parry, then he did he noticed his lightsaber did not cut through, so the Loyalists had found a way to equip phase one dark trooper's blades with vibro cells did they? That was not good, with those other two this would be hard, Mara would have to handle the pale woman.

XxX

Mara's blow was parried, the woman retaliated with a jumping spinning back kick that collided with Mara's shoulder and set her flying away. She landed on the ground and slid until she hit a ship, she noticed Ravan dueling three phase one dark troopers. That wasn't good, she took a look around, Alecto's men and storm troopers were running amuck and killing one another, within this huge group there were about a dozen phase one dark troopers who were slaughtering every enemy in sight. Alecto ran up to one and shot it in the photoreceptor (since it was a droid), then in the other. It spun its head around for a moment, using that to her advantage Alecto pulled out her own vibro blade and sliced it in half at the waist where there was little armor. This gave Mara an idea to help Ravan out.

She looked at the woman who was slowly approaching her, cutting down enemies in her way, she had time. Grabbing her hidden blaster pistol holstered on her arm she aimed it and shot, the bolt hit one of the dark troopers Ravan was battling in the left photoreceptor. Mara shot once more and it the right, Ravan did exactly what Alecto had done (except with his lightsaber) and silently thanked Mara. Mara jumped to her feet and shot a storm trooper, she re-activated her saber as the woman neared her, aiming her blaster pistol at the woman's head she shot but the bolt was parried easily and right into the heart of one of her allies. Mara inserted her pistol back into its holster and charged at Darth Dementra, holding her saber up, this was a grave error. A stray blaster bolt flew at Dementra who flipped her lightsaber and hit the bolt, it flew right into Mara's thigh before she could deflect it.

Her feet gave out from under her and she fell to the ground. Dementra stood about her, saber raised.

XxX

Ravan kicked the second Dark trooper its head which dented in, he spun, flipped his blade and plunged it into the dark trooper's chest behind him. Then he saw Mara on the ground with that woman standing over her and about to kill her. He pulled his blade out of the dark trooper he pushed the third one into the wall, he ran toward Mara but he was too late. Dementra plunged her saber downwards… and then she was struck by a wave of Force lightning. Ravan looked in astonishment to see the crackle pouring from the long spindly, white fingers of Volla Melvaad, she _was_ one of the Nightsister clan.

Dementra, with effort, kicked Mara in the groin and turned to face Volla, raising her saber and absorbing the stream of lightning. That woman was tough. Ravan could no longer watch as the third dark trooper's blade came down and cut a centimeter into his shoulder, he turned around to continue the duel hearing Volla acknowledge something.

"Sister." She said.

"Livia." The other spat. Volla's sister was that woman! They were both of the Nightsister clan!

XxX

Dementra held back the flow of lightning with ease, slowly inching toward her sister Livia.

"I wondered if you would ever come for me." Livia grunted. "Or if you would wise up and follow me."

"You betrayed the Emperor, so you betrayed me."

"The Emperor betrayed us! Are you so far gone that you can't see that, little sister?"

Dementra scowled and pushed forward.

"The Emperor took us away from our clan, haven't you ever wondered about your heritage. You can still turn away from the Emperor's hold, he is dead!"

"He lives through Kallisto and my master Xarkun, he is very much alive."

"You're insane."

"Some people think so, Livia."

"Dementra, you've adopted that name I see."

"Yes." Dementra said, she was close now, so close the lightning was now bouncing off the saber and swirling around like a twister on steroids, it was getting massive, so massive neither of them could hold it any longer, both were thrown back, Dementra was able to catch herself and land on her feet, Livia wasn't so lucky. She hit the floor and slid on her back towards a ship, when her head made contact with its side she was unconscious instantly.

Dementra pointed at the nearest storm troops.

"Take her." She commanded standing up and parrying a few enemy shots. She waited until the troops carrying her sister were out of the base then she called her order.

"RETREAT, FALL BACK NOW! FALL BACK NOW!" Dementra bellowed the order at the top of her lungs. She sprinted out the door, her troops followed.

XxX

Alecto was the first to come out of cover. She stared around the hanger bay; the floor was strewn with the bodies of dead storm troopers, and the bodies of her men. The pungent smell of charred flesh was unmistakable in the cold Rhen-Var air. Alecto shot the last storm trooper that tried to exit. Why had they retreated? What had they wanted? Alecto's head turned in the direction of a loud crackle, Ravan and a dark trooper were in a lock with their blades. Alecto pulled out her vibro blade and hurled it like a spear, it hit and went all the way through the dark trooper, and the droid fell down smoking. Ravan wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"How come you couldn't kill it?" Alecto asked.

"You try..." Ravan began, out of breath. "Having a… sword fight… in the middle… of a… fire fight! I had… to block… every bolt that came… my way… that thing just stood there and… its armor stopped them."

Ravan suddenly realized something, Mara! He ran to her, as did Alecto. Mara was clutching a charred hole in her thigh.

"That woman Dementra got Volla Melvaad!" Mara said in alarm. "Her real name was Livia."

"Damn it!" Alecto snapped. "She was my second in command."

"Are you alright?" Ravan asked Mara, annoying Alecto's enraged grumbling, she got even worse when she took another sweeping look at the hanger.

"Yeah, yeah," Mara replied. "I've had worse happen but I'd like to get a bandage on it if you don't mind farm boy."

"Come on then." Ravan grunted, hauling Mara up and putting her arm around his shoulder. "I'll get you to the infirmary."

"Thanks farm boy."

"That was some good fighting."

"I've done better remember when I assassinated that one guy when I was trying to find those still loyal to Sidious? The ones that were not with the Loyalists, you should have seen me there."

"I bet it'll make a hell of a story for when I'm bandaging you up."

They both heard Alecto screech an order behind them.

"To me men! I need to know how many are left…"

That wasn't many at all. The Loyalists were more capable then they could ever have imagined they had come here… wait, in that star destroyer!

"Alecto!" He bellowed.

"What?!" She snapped in irritation, being in mid count of her men.

"Try and get a lock on that star destroyer! I'm going to patch Mara up!"

"Well you heard him!" She shouted to her men. "Get a lock on that star destroyer and get me something to drink!"

**_I hope you liked the action, I still haven't decided what I should do with Livia, I know why I brought Dementra and Xarkun into this but I'm not sure why Livia anymore. Any suggestions? By the way I now have 10 reviews here and 766 hits or something! I am now satisfied, so long as I get a review for every number of chapters I have I'm good. Like if this story reaches 30 chapters or something and I get 30 reviews I'm good. I'm better if I get like 80 but 30 for a 30 chapter story is good. Now for some statistics, this story beats my Alias on in reviews but my Alias one is still ahead in hits and The US1 beats em all in hits, its nearing or maybe past the bridge of 12 and a half thousand. _**


	9. The Search Begins

**_I have finally figured out what I should do with Livia, and I am not going to simply kill her. In fact she is going to have sort of a pivotal role in this. NOTE: I think when I mentioned Pellaeon earlier in this fic I said he was a Vice Admiral, I just looked back at US2 it seems I was mistaken he is actually an Admiral now and Kratas is Vice Admiral, just thought I would clear it up. Now I suggest we all crack open a Dr. Pepper or a Coke, which ever you prefer (I like both and I happen to be drinking a Dr. Pepper) and read. Oh and it also sucks that the Bears lost the Super Bowl._**

Chapter 9: The Search Begins

Lord Vader expected only to be greeted by a couple high ranking officers when he boarded the _Knight Hammer_ since Admiral Daala's ship had a reputation for being extremely busy. However when Vader stared down the exit ramp of his personal Lambda shuttle it seemed as though Daala's entire crew had squeezed itself into the hanger bay. Daala herself waited at the foot of the ramp along with newly promoted Admiral Pellaeon and Vice Admiral Kratas who must have taken a slight leave from the _Gorgon_ to get here, he was a great man, coordinated the attack that destroyed the Death Star.

When Vader reached the end of the ramp all three bowed deeply and the storm troopers and officers snapped to attention. For a crew that had recently wanted nothing more that to cut him up into little tiny pieces they sure were respectful.

"Emperor Vader, we are honored by your presence here." Admiral Daala said.

"Lord Vader will due Admiral." Vader said crisply. They began to walk down the aisle of storm troopers who all stood at complete attention, very professional.

"Why exactly have you traveled this far out in space?" Daala questioned.

"I need assistance," Vader said. "Admiral Piett could not help with this… delicate matter, he recommended you."

"I see," Daala said.

"Do you have a secure area for us to speak in?"

"My quarters."

"Excellent, take me there."

"Pellaeon, Kratas you are dismissed. Kratas return to the _Gorgon_, Pellaeon return to the bridge."

XxX

Vader sat down on Daala's rather plain sofa in her rather furniture deprived living area." Daala sat across from him on her other sofa.

"First of all Admiral Daala, no one must know I am with you, I must remain anonymous, make sure your crew is well aware of this."

"Of course milord."

"Secondly, this information that I am about to give you must be kept extremely confidential."

"It will be Lord Vader."

"Good, I have reason to believe that my wife, Padmé Amidala Skywalker is alive."

"Are you serious Lord Vader? One of my best friends is a Nubian, she personally attended Amidala's funeral, he saw her buried."

"Nevertheless I have strong evidence suggesting she is alive. I want you to set a course for Naboo, I believe this is the most likely place to start, Padmé has many contacts there and she knows the place, she could disappear."

"Is this some sort of drill?"

"Perhaps Admiral Piett was wrong that I should trust this assignment to you. If so you will regret it."

"I'm sorry Lord Vader, please continue."

"I believe her parents, Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie are most likely to know where she is providing she is on the planet."

"Wouldn't it look suspicious if we went to Naboo just to take the Naberrie's into custody?"

"Which is why I have a cover plan, we will act as though we believe the Loyalists have a base on Naboo and that the Naberries will know where it is, Sola Naberrie who is Padmé's sister is now queen of Naboo it will look as though we are taking the Naberries in for questioning about the base. Meanwhile alert the crew of your actual intentions and make it clear that if anyone spreads word to the Nubian locals or anyone else in particular they will have to answer directly to me."

"Very good milord, shall I plot a course?"

"Immediately."

"It will be done; in the mean time I will find you a suite where you can stay my Emperor."

XxX

Rhen-Var

Alecto had just gotten communications running. Mara and Ravan were the first to use them (Mara's leg was healing nicely), they immediately contacted Vader but were strangely redirected, an image of Admiral Piett sprang up before them.

"Lord Ravan, Lady Jade what can I do for you?" The Admiral asked, bowing.

"Listen Piett, Rhen-Var was just attacked by the Loyalists, Alecto just lost about four fifths of her men." Ravan said.

"What? Were you able to track where they went?"

"No, they just abducted someone and took off, we got a lock on their last known trajectory though." Mara reported.

"That will not be of much use, it is likely they will have made several random jumps."

"Probably, where is Vader?" Mara asked.

"You just missed him, he left a while ago on some…personal business."

"Regardless we need transport off this block of ice, a lot of Alecto's ships were destroyed and my ASAT's engine is fried, we will need repairs and so will Alecto."

"I shall set a course for Rhen-Var immediately Lord Ravan, we will get you aboard and I will nevertheless calculate possible destinations of the Loyalist ship based on its last known trajectory. Piett out."

XxX

The sight of it had the potential to bring the stinging sensation of tears to the dark lord's eyes, seeing it again. The emerald a sapphire planet of Naboo, the last time he visited it was when he was with Padmé, and perhaps soon he would leave it again, her by his side. What possible thoughts could she have for him now? She would think he was a monster, he corrupted their only son like the late Emperor had done to him and he killed their only daughter! Padmé, what would she do when she saw him in his dark shell, his prison that he could never escape from, what would she do when she sensed his dark heart, when she found out he had killed Leia, corrupted Luke, when she found out all of the horrible things he had done since her _death_? He didn't know… but he wanted to, no matter what the answer was and for the first time in a long time he bowed his helmeted head down and prayed to the Force. He must find Padmé, whether she wanted him or not, he took a deep mechanized breath, this suit he could escape it by going through a healing process but in the time of the Loyalists terrorist attacks, maybe one day. On this day he would find Padmé, and for the first time in ages some of the black ice melted from his soul revealing a patch of Anakin.

"Milord?" Daala asked.

"Begin the landing, take Theed immediately and bring me Ruwee and Jobal Naberrie." Vader commanded.

"Very well sir," Daala said. "Vice Admiral Kratas, begin boarding legions 102, 347, and 502, I want Theed overrun within the hour, insure everyone knows the cover story, act as if there is a Loyalist base on Naboo and order my personal squad to apprehend the Naberries, Ruwee, and Jobal. Bring me the queen as well; insure her husband and children do not leave the palace."

Daala had just voiced everything Vader had told her to during the brief trip in hyperspace, this was a very elaborate cover up to find just one person but in this system the emperor's word was law, Padmé would never ever approve. Sola Naberrie was now the queen of Naboo, Vader had included her to be apprehended for two reasons, number one: she might know where Padmé was, and number two: she was the queen; it would look suspicious if they didn't even question her about a base they believed was on her planet.

So the landing began dozens and dozens of troop transports shot out of the _Knight Hammer, _the_ Gorgon, _and the other ships of Daala's fleet. So far Vader was impressed with Daala's command ability and her organization; she knew exactly which legions she wanted down there. Personally Vader would have given the job to the five-oh-first legion rather than the one-oh-second because he had commanded them since the Clone Wars, alas the 501 legion was on Coruscant and he was saving them for when he found the Loyalists, after all they were known as Vader's Fist.

XxX

Byss

Livia jerked sharply and found herself awake, strapped to a cold metal chair in a freezing room wearing nothing but thin gray garments. There was a bright light on her, a sort that gave out no infrared so therefore no heat, everything else was black. Three people then stepped into her view, Dementra she recognized and she assumed the tall ominous looking man with a hood was Lord Xarkun her master, the last she knew was Kallisto.

"You know Livia," Kallisto said. "I remember working with you, I do, you were always quiet and so calm, I never suspected Dementra was actually your younger sister… it seems you're in a predicament."

**_Yes! Chapter nine is finished, why am I so thrilled? I don't know, be on the look out for chapter ten coming soon with very much dark sithyness in it, remember feedback is appreciated so at this time click on the little button at the bottom left (I think) of your screen, log in if you aren't already and review! By the way thanks to everyone reading this story._**


	10. Conversations

Chapter 10: Conversations

The late emperor had killed people, he had tortured, and maimed in cold blood. Livia sat strapped to that metal chair with full knowledge of this as Lord Xarkun reared back, gasped, and allowed the Emperor's Force presence to take over him.

"Hello Livia." Sidious's voice rasped through the mouth of Lord Xarkun. "It is good to see you again."

"I wish I could say the same about you, but even if I could see you I don't think it would be good." Livia spat.

Sidious brushed it off. "Do you know why you're here?"

"Because you want to kill me, maybe you want me to join you? I don't know but I'm sure you're going to tell me."

"You are here because you are a potential threat to me and my servants. And yes, I would appreciate if you would join me willingly. You are very valuable and have much potential."

"Are you insane?!" Livia snapped and added mentally _yes_. Sidious sensed this thought and it ignited some small spark in him that hit a pile of paper under some logs, it would soon grow into a fire. "I will never join you."

"Then perhaps you are not motivated enough. I'll give you an hour, if you have not decided to join me by then we will have to convince you and you do not want us to do that."

XxX

Ravan and Mara returned to the _Executor_ and spoke with Admiral Piett. So far he had nothing on the Loyalists, they were able to track two hyperspace jumps, one to a nearby sector around Rhen-Var, the next near the planet Tatooine and they lost them from there, all they had: they knew they were heading to the inner rim, possibly around the Core sector.

On the other hand Piett had sent a team of engineers down to repair the damage done on Alecto's base, from what they knew it was going well and they were equipping her with state of the art defenses, they would also leave one Imperial class star destroyer to guard the space around Rhen-Var and protect Alecto as she was still a valuable asset.

XxX

Admiral Daala strode the brick streets of the city of Theed, Pellaeon and her own personal squad with her. The place was far from deserted, storm troopers were everywhere keeping the peace and the entire city's citizens were under a house arrest. Daala was heading to one of the houses, the home of the Naberries, she ascended the stone steps to the door and knocked on it several time. The door opened revealing a slightly balding old man, Ruwee Naberrie.

"Mr. Naberrie, may we come in?" Daala asked politely. "We have questions for you."

"No, no you may not." Ruwee replied firmly. His hand flew to the door controls, in a flash Daala had her blaster pistol aimed at him.

"I'm terribly sorry for the inconvenience." Daala said, her forced her way past the man into the living room of the house, Pellaeon and her storm troops followed seizing Mr. Naberrie and firmly sitting him down on his own sofa. A woman who looked as old as Ruwee entered the den, she took one look at the entire situation and then asked. "What do you want?"

"I want you to sit down." Daala said.

"I'm not accustomed to be asked to sit down in my own house."

"Get used to it. Sit."

Jobal Naberrie walked to her own sofa and sat next to her husband, the storm troopers line the room, blasters out and ready. Pellaeon and Daala sat down on the sofa opposite Ruwee and Jobal.

"What do you want?" Jobal asked once more.

"We have reason to believe your daughter Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker is alive, we think you know where she is."

Jobal and Ruwee exchanged glances.

"Padmé died almost eighteen years ago." Ruwee said. "She's buried at the palace and we go and visit her everyday. Now listen, I don't know what made you believe she is still alive but you're holding Naboo because you think the Loyalists have a base on planet? I can tell you they do not, my daughter Sola is queen of Naboo!"

"Yes I know." Daala said. "And I don't believe a single word you've said about Padmé, and the Empire is not occupying Naboo because we believe the Loyalists have established a base, we're holding it up because the emperor wishes to find your daughter."

"To finish what he started?" Jobal snapped. "To kill our daughter?"

"Whatever his reasons I'm under his orders. Now we can do this easily, or you can make it difficult, we would both much prefer the easy way so I will say to you once more, we believe your daughter is alive, do you have any comments?"

"No." Ruwee stated firmly.

"I'm sorry, perhaps I overestimated your intelligence, that was an implied question. Let me make it as clear as I can, where is Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker?"

"In a grave where she's been for eighteen years!" Ruwee shouted, Jobal's eyes were glassy.

"Very well," Daala said. "Bring them aboard the _Knight Hammer_, I believe Lord Vader will wish to speak with them."

"I tell you Padmé is dead!" Ruwee shouted. "And Vader insults her memory, he murdered her!"

"Perhaps you just aren't motivated enough to talk yet."

XxX

Ruwee and Jobal both shared a dim and cold cell aboard the mammoth super star destroyer. They sat on the cold metal bench, their hands and legs in shackles. They're eyes went up to the door as it opened and Darth Vader stepped in with Sola. Ruwee and Jobal gasped. Sola was in Vader's hands, that was not good at all. Sola's hands her bound behind her back, Vader pushed her into the cell and the door closed behind him, he went around her and stood in front of her parents.

"This is your last chance, where is Padmé?"

"Don't you even speak her name you monster!" Cried Jobal.

"Very well." Vader said pulling out the hilt of his lightsaber and activated the crimson blade. In one swift move he sliced off Sola's left hand, she fell to the floor screaming in agony. Ruwee and Jobal attempted to rush to her aid but were persuaded otherwise when they found themselves staring at the red beam of energy. Once Sola's shouts of pain ceased into small whimpers Vader spoke again.

"Where is Padmé?" He asked icily. Both mother and father looked down at their other daughter who winced and mouthed 'don't tell him.'

"I've told you already she is dead, you killed her!" Ruwee snapped.

"Clearly you do not care for Sola." Vader hissed. "Or… her husband."

Vader pulled out his com link. "Shoot Darred Janren out of the air lock and then bring Ryoo and Pooja Naberrie off planet."

"_You want us to kill the king?"_ Asked the voice of a storm trooper.

"Yes, now."

"Yes sir."

Vader inserted the com link back in his pocket.

"No! Don't kill him and don't you dare touch my children!" Sola screamed.

"They will be spared if you tell me where my wife is!"

"Never!" Ruwee cried. So they were getting somewhere, by Ruwee's shouting of never he just as well as acknowledged that Padmé was indeed somewhere, and that he knew where.

"Clearly you wish your entire family dead." Vader said, he pulled a large pair of metal cutting pliers from a pouch on his belt and grabbed Sola's remaining hand and cut off her index finger, blood ran down her hand and dripped onto his glove, Sola fell to the floor once more bleeding and shouting before she passed out from all of the pain.

"If you want to spare her the loss of another finger you will tell me where Padmé is."

There was a long moment of silence, both Ruwee and Jobal looked at Sola, they could not keep this up.

"Alright," Ruwee said. "Padmé came to us one day… we were so shocked, she told us she was going into hiding somewhere and she was going to try and find our grandchildren… we don't know where she went, she never told us, it was to protect us from being interrogated and tortured and to protect herself."

Vader pulled out him com link once more.

"I don't believe you." He said to Ruwee and Jobal and then said into the com link. "Kill Pooja and shoot Janren—"

"Wait!" Jobal cried. "Don't hurt my grandchild, I'll tell you where she is."

"Hold on commander," Vader said. "Put Janren back in his cell and let his children join him."

Vader put the communicator away once more.

"Padmé is living in the mountain ranges near Theed in a mansion with many guards. I don't know where… but I know someone who does." Jobal said.

"Who?"

"Captain Panaka, he was her head of security when she was queen, he had the mansion built in case she ever needed to go into hiding…."

"Very good, I know it doesn't seem like it but this may just be the luckiest day of your lives. If I find out you are lying I will kill your grandchildren first, then Sola's husband, then her, then you Jobal, and finally you Ruwee."

Vader turned and the cell door opened two troopers came in to carry Sola away, Vader stepped out, he was so close to finding Padmé now, so very close.


	11. Almost 18 Years

_**Note: My Alias fic is finished! I will do another in the near future but for now I am free doing just US3, very soon I will be plotting a new SW fan fic which I will do side by side with US3 until US3 is finished. I have already said what this fic that I will soon begin plotting will be about. It will be another Vader/Padmé fic where Vader is a sith apprentice under Sidious and Padmé is one under someone else, Vader captures her and they join together, eventually falling in love.**_

Chapter 11: Almost 18 Years

Vader had sent Admiral Daala out once more on a mission which was to talk to Captain Panaka, and if he would not talk she was to bring him to Vader. Panaka lived in a private residence now, he had retired long ago and was enjoying the large sums of money he made in his retirement, he lived on the edge of an impossibly blue and beautiful lake just outside of Theed in a large house, it was not a mansion but it was large, he, and his wife sat out on their large stone deck overlooking the giant lake and drinking some Nubian champagne. They didn't notice Admiral Daala or her storm troopers until the climbed the wooden stairs to the deck.

Captain Panaka was clearly aging, as was his wife, both had numerous gray streaks through their jet black hair and wrinkles about their dark faces. Panaka stood up, outraged as the Imperials stepped onto his property, he stepped right up to Admiral Daala, looking her straight in the eyes.

"This is a private residence! According to law 447 passed by the Imperial senate a private residence owned by a former solder, security guard or captain, or any other former military or current military personnel cannot be invaded without some sort of warrant."

"Very good former captain, you are correct, the senate passed this because of all the complaints they received from solders under suspicious, this law is still under debate since the Imperial senate was dissolved a while ago therefore it is not valid. If it makes you feel any better I am under orders from Emperor Vader himself."

"It doesn't make me feel better, get the hell off my property!"

"I only need some questions answered, would you be willing to sit down?"

"No."

"Very well," Daala said, she turned to her troops. "Please escort Mr. and Mrs. Panaka into their house and sit them down."

"Yes Admiral."

The troopers rushed and seized the two, Captain Panaka struggled somewhat.

"Admiral?" He huffed quizzically.

"My name is Admiral Daala." Daala stated following them into their house and then into their living area. They were both sat down roughly on their own sofa by the storm troopers. Daala sat down on the comfortable arm chair opposite them.

"Now that we are comfortable lets get down to business. We believe you know the whereabouts of Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker."

"Are you insane?!" Panaka cried, though he hesitated a moment, Daala's eyes narrowed.

"I'm terribly sorry Mr. Panaka, that was an implied question perhaps you are not intelligent enough to comprehend that. Let me make this as crystal clear as possible—"

"I heard you the first time!"

"Where is Padmé Naberrie Amidala Skywalker?"

"She's dead!"

"I grow extremely tired of this." Daala hissed. She pulled out her blaster pistol and shot Panaka's wife in the shoulder. Captain Panaka leapt up but was restrained by a storm trooper. Two that had been standing by the wall rushed to Mrs. Panaka and carried her out.

"I shall be taking you to Vader."

XxX

Captain Panaka looked up at Vader as he entered his cell aboard the _Knight Hammer _along with a black and domed probe droid. He spat on Vader's boot as the cell door closed.

"You bastard! Where the hell is my wife?!"

"Your wife, Captain Panaka, is in medical care, we can either treat her wound and you can tell us where Padmé is or we can kill your wife and you can still tell us where Padmé is, you have two choices, pick one."

"Never! Padmé is dead and even if she was alive I would never tell you where she was after what you did to her!"

"Do not try to deny her existence Panaka, I already interrogated the Naberrie's, Padmé is alive. Are you sure you will not tell me willingly where she is?"

"I'm sure."

"Very well," Vader said pulling out a comm link and switching it on, he then spoke into it. "This is Lord Vader, shoot Mrs. Panaka in both of her legs and toss her down a garbage chute."

"Yes sir," A storm trooper's voice. Vader put away the comm link.

"I will kill you for this Vader, I will kill you!"

"No you will not." Vader replied as Panaka tried to jump from the bench, sadly his hands were bound to it behind his back. Vader plucked a giant syringe from the probe droid's hold as well as a bottle of clear liquid. He sucked a load of it into the syringe and squirted it once, it came out in a fine thin stream landing in Panaka's hair. Panaka protested, cursing Vader in all sorts of languages as his head was pushed down by a gloved hand and the needle was inserted into the back of his neck, Vader injected the truth serum into him. He shook as it coursed through his veins, Vader deposited the syringe and bottle back into the probe droid's metal clasps.

He waited until Panaka calmed and sat back, his eyes were bloodshot.

"Tell me where Padmé is." Vader commanded calmly.

"Who's Padmé?" Panaka asked slurring is words.

"Tell me where she is." Vader commanded more forcefully. Panaka jumped.

"Whoa, you're face is ugly."

Vader didn't even retort, he was growing tired of this, he took two breaker cable from the droid and clipped them onto the skin of Panaka's leg, the jagged edges dug into his flesh, producing a bit of blood. Vader set the amount of electricity he wanted and asked Panaka once more. "Where is Padmé."

This time the captain didn't even reply, he screamed as he was now hallucinating something horrible. Vader seethed with anger, he amplified the voltage to its maximum and pushed the dial down, electricity was released from the probe droid and it coursed through Panaka's veins.

XxX

Panaka had given up. It had taken a while, Vader shocked him dozens and dozens of time, so much the flesh on his legs had begun to burn, so much that he nearly died like his wife, but finally Panaka gave him the coordinates for Padmé's safe mansion in the mountainous country. After that Vader had simply put Panaka out of his misery, he simply gave him a lethal injection.

Padmé's mansion was supposed to be well guarded, Vader didn't know what to expect, he rode in one troop transports along with two dozen phase two dark troopers who were armed with long barreled blaster rifles and equipped with jetpacks. Vader watched out of the view ports as the craft buzzed over Theed and headed towards the rich mountains, landing in a cluster of them, in a clearing in a large forest near Padmé's hidden house they debarked from the transport, Vader allowed the head dark trooper to lead them until finally they came to another large clearing. There stood a breathtaking mansion, three stories up and built out of that common sandy marble colored stone. It had numerous verandas and balconies on which stood snipers dressed in royal guard uniforms.

Vader silently ordered twelve of the twenty four dark troopers to enter by the balconies, they ignited their jetpacks and leapt into the air. One was almost instantly gunned down by a sniper who had shot him in the face, damaging his photoreceptors and causing the trooper to spiral and crash into the side of the mansion. Letting the dark troopers lead Vader charged into the grounds, a couple of security foot solders opened fire. The dark troopers cut each of them down and continued to the main doors of the mansion.

Vader was nearly there he could clearly sense a presence in the Force, something he had not felt in a long time… Padmé was here, he knew it. Then his senses changed, warning alarms went off in his brain, what was—

He turned just in time and ignited his lightsaber to deflect and oncoming blaster bolt, it hit the blood red blade and flew back into the one who fired it. Vader turned towards the doors as the dark troopers literally ripped it open, so hard that they popped it out of its track (it was an automatic door, therefore it had a track) Vader followed them as they entered and killed a couple of security personnel.

Vader found himself in an entrance hall, a flight of stairs leading to a landing which had doors to rooms on the second floor stood in front of him, there was a spiral set of stairs on top of the landing leading to the third floor Vader assumed, the floor was pure marble, he was almost sorry to see the scuff mark his boot left on it, there were busts of old Nubian kings and queens on small pillars on either side of the room.

Vader sensed another guard, he watched as the man ran down the steps, he wore the customary security guard uniform which consisted mostly of a blue tunic and pants, a brown leather vest, matching boots, and a brown leather cap with some odd insignia made of out metal stitched to it. The guard drew a blaster pistol, Vader simply twisted his thoughts and the blaster fell out of the man's had, he grabbed a twelve inch long vibro knife he had been issued from a sheath under his vest and ran at Vader holding in a stabbing position to his right side.

When he reached Vader he met a glowing crimson lightsaber blade in mid air. Both blades locked for just a moment and then both wielders pulled away, sadly for the one with the inferior weapon (meaning the vibro knife) the other had fast reflexes, Vader slashed at the guard and sliced him neatly in half just as a dark trooper approached him.

"Lord Vader," It said in an emotionless droid voice. "We have cleared floors one and two, floor three seems to be locked off, there is only one entrance."

"Yes I know, stay here, I will deal with floor three myself."

Vader ascended the flight of stairs to the landing and then the spiral set on top of it, he reached small hall with a single sealed door at the end of it, he drew his lightsaber for the third time today, walked up to the door and cut a neat rectangular human sized shaped hole in it. He stepped through it and found himself in another hallway, this place smelled of Padmé, he followed her trail to a closed unlocked door.

His heart was beating, he was as tense as he could be for a half cyborg, mentally preparing himself he opened the door—

There she was, sitting on an armchair facing him and reading a piece of Nubian literature. She had not aged well at all, her face had not creases on it whatsoever, her hair has but a few strands of gray tied back with the rest of if and flowing almost down to her mid back. She wore a sapphire dress and robes, she paused in her reading and looked up at him, even her eyes were the same. He half expected her to smile like she had done so often when he came to her apartment during his time as a Jedi, this was not the case, she did not smile, she didn't even frown, her face was almost desolate of emotion, any emotion.

"Anakin," She said rather quietly. "It's been almost eighteen years."

**_There you are, Padmé is back._**


	12. Peace Is a Lie, There Is Only Passion

**_This is amazing, now I actually feel like I am doing a story because I have a few consistent reader/reviewers. Here is a quick little reminder to review! Remember romance is not my specialty action is, just saying since this chapter has a particularly—never mind! Also this chapter is named after a part of the Sith Code, you'll see why it applies. Well the "passion" part anyway, "peace is a lie" sort of applies to the entire story._**

Chapter 12: Peace Is a Lie, There Is Only Passion

The _Executor_

Ravan sat across from Mara eating a steak, the name of which he could not remember, Mara was eating some sort of lobster from Mon Calamari and both were simply drinking water, plain water. Those last couple of days on Rhen-Var had been sort of like a vacation for them, they had spent time together (even if it was military business) and neither of them knew it at the moment but both would sort of miss it when it was taken away, one was slowly starting to realize it….

Mara took a rather large gulp of water, Ravan quirked his eyebrows and she laughed.

"I'm an assassin, not a proper lady." She said.

"We can all agree on that." Ravan replied.

"Shut up," Mara said putting her glass down. Her smile faded. "You know, when we get back Vader will just send me on another meaningless mission to assassinate some bounty hunter that owes him money or something, yeah that was my last mission, but we do have operational control of this ship, I hear Naboo is nice this time of year."

Ravan actually began considering—

"No, absolutely not! My father would murder us if we did that."

"We could kill him first…"

"He's my father."

"Kallisto is my mother…"

Ravan stood up and started towards his sleeping area.

"I need to think about this."

Mara stood up and intercepted him.

"Stop analyzing everything you do."

And for the first time in his entire life (since Uncle Owen hadn't particularly given him much time outside the homestead) he was kissed, Mara had made the first move. He returned the favor, both pulled away.

"You're right, we should stop analyzing everything we do."

"No, _you _should."

And instead of just Ravan both of them went into the sleeping area.

XxX

Coruscant

Padmé walked under a mass of heavy dark robes so her identity would be hidden from the casual onlooker as Vader escorted her into the palace, her walked straight to the turbo lift, the guards questioned him as to the identity of the person he was with but one look at Vader's mask silenced their curiosity. Both Vader and Padmé stepped into the turbo lift which shot up toward the throne room.

Padmé was silent on the ride there and remained that way right until Vader led her into his quarters and closed the door behind him, Padmé shed her many robes, under which she was simply wearing a light, white long-sleeved shirt and matching pants. Vader's quarters were quite bare, he had no use for furniture, all he ever came in there to do was enter his mediation pod whose entry was the door to the right of his living room, he had it specially installed there long ago, back when this place was just a simple suite Palpatine had set aside for him, in the living area there was only a sofa and a HoloNet screen. But there was one more door, it led to somewhat of a guest room, it was a place originally made for Vader but since he was so grievously injured and was made to bear that suit the room had gone unused, for the first time in almost eighteen years he opened it. Padmé went in first.

Inside was a bed with black velvet coverings and a door which led to a closet and a fresher. The door closed behind Vader as he entered, Padmé sat down on the bed, Vader could feel the slight anger swirling around her.

"Padmé…"

"Anakin?"

"I am called Darth Vader now."

"I know what you're called. I also know what is going through your mind now."

"You do?"

"You want to know how exactly I am alive."

"Yes…"

"After I gave birth Luke and Leia were taken from me, I nearly died and Obi-wan thought it best I go into hiding that is my simple story."

"Why didn't you find me?"

"Because if you knew I was alive you would know our children were alive and Obi-wan convinced me that was bad. I know what you did Anakin."

"You corrupted our son to your ways, you corrupted _my_ son and you killed our only daughter_ my _daughter!"

"Leia was a threat…"

"Don't try and explain it Anakin… don't."

"Padmé if there was any way I could bring Leia back I would. I am truly sorry for all the things I've done, but it's all been about you, I wanted to protect you and when you died I was lost. Why did you come back Padmé?"

"Because after what you did to our daughter I felt I had to, and then I learned you corrupted our son, I came back because I wanted to stop you."

"What can I do Padmé?"

"You need to destroy the Empire." Padmé said simply. "That means you must destroy these Loyalists and restore the Republic once they are gone."

"What ever happened to diplomacy?"

"It died with Leia." Padmé replied icily. "And Anakin you must stop, you're a good person, turn away from the dark side!"

Vader sighed, he stood there for a long moment thinking.

"You're right Padmé, I have to redeem myself for my past… the first step will be to take off this armor I need to break all my ties with the dark side and this armor…"

"How can you do that? I know what happened on Mustafar."

"I've been considering it ever since I suspected you were alive." Vader said, he pulled something from his pouch, the pendant Padmé had abandoned to a droid which had put it on his floor. "This is yours."

Padmé put it on once more. "This I've kept to remind me that there is still good in you."

"When I found out you were alive I thought about how I would heal myself."

"Don't do it for me, do it because you want to break all ties with the dark side."

"Alright, but I've been considering it, it would be possible for Coruscanti surgeons to replace my body parts, but I need new organs… I am going to call in my doctor."

XxX

Doctor Sergio (yes, this is actually his name) was a bit surprised at the call from Vader, yes he had of course been called to treat his master hundreds of times but never once in his private quarters, he had never even been in Vader's throne room and he didn't know anyone who had. He reached the door to Vader's quarters and hesitated, and then he knocked three times. The door almost immediately opened and the doctor stepped in. He found himself facing Lord Vader, he bowed hastily.

"Rise Sergio, follow me." Vader commanded.

"Yes milord. " Sergio said, he was surprised when Vader led him in the guest bedroom, there he saw a woman sitting on the black bed, she smiled in greeting and he nearly fainted when he realized just who the woman he was looking at was.

"You're Padmé Amidala! You're dead!"

"Clearly not doctor." Vader said. "Padmé's existence must be kept confidential, even from my son, do you understand?"

"Yes milord I understand."

"You are probably wondering why I called you here."

"Yes I am sir."

"I have a theory on how I can be healed, I will need cloned organs such as lungs a better digestive system and a new voice box and vocal cords. I believe Coruscanti surgeons would be up to the task of healing me given the proper organs."

"Well yes sir, I suppose this is a theoretical possibility and a strong one, but cloning was forbidden after the Clone Wars, where would we get new organs."

"I can answer that." Padmé said. "The Kaminoans, they are expert cloners."

"The Kaminoans will never do business with us." Sergio said. "Never, they don't support our Empire."

"I'll pay them well, get them on a line, make sure it is secure, there have been a number of hacks on our computer mainframe."

"Yes milord, right away."

XxX

Vader bowed as respectfully as he could to a static filled image of a Kaminoan that sprang up on the holo projector in his quarters. Sergio and Padmé were just out of view of the camera.

"Greetings Emperor Vader," The Kaminoan said dully and somewhat coldly. "My name is Lama Su, I am the prime minister of Kamino."

Vader raised what was left of his eyebrows in a bit of surprise, Lama Su had been prime minister for a long time now.

"Greetings Lama Su. I will get right down to business."

"I would… appreciate that."

"I need several cloned organs."

"May I inquire as to why?"

"No."

"I don't make it a habit of doing business with your… government Lord Vader." Lama Su said.

"I will pay you nine hundred thousand credits." Vader said.

"That is a generous offer for mere cloned organs. I will take it, for whom will we be cloning these organs?"

"You will keep this confidential Prime Minister Lama Su or my offer will die and so will your illegal business. You are cloning the organs to me, my file is being sent to you on a secure line now."

"Very well Lord Vader, we will begin cloning immediately, we will use our hyper growth acceleration technique which we can slow down to a normal acceleration once the organs reach the proper age, we will contact you when we are finished and arrange delivery, please wire our credits to the account number we are sending you."

"Of course Prime Minister, it was a pleasure doing business with you."

"Good day Lord Vader." Lama Su said, Vader noted he failed to return the "it was a pleasure doing business with you" comment.

"Is there anything else you need today milord?" Sergio asked.

"No, you are dismissed doctor."

Sergio left rather hastily, Vader turned to Padmé.

"For now we must keep you existence a complete secret, even from our son Padmé, we need to wait until I am healed, I can keep you safe then."

"You could keep me safe now Anakin, even though I don't need you for that. What's the real reason you don't want Luke to know?"

"I'm not ready to tell him Padmé… I'm not sure he will be as willing to leave the ways of the Sith as I am."

"Why not?"

"He loves an assassin."

"Mara Jade."

"Yes, how do you know?"

"You have a computer in your guest room Anakin, and your password to your user account was not that hard to guess, you'll always be that little boy I knew on Tatooine."

"I wish that were so Padmé, I can never redeem myself for what I've done."

"Yes you can, I'm here to help you and I can if you let me."

"We're in this together again I guess…"

"Yes, we're in this together… Anakin."

Anakin… that might be a name Padmé was willing to christen him with, but he knew deep in the center of his heart, encircled by a slowly melting glacier of black ice that he could never allow himself that name, not even after he rectified what he had done and restored the Republic because even that would never be enough to set him free… to redeem him.

**_I hope this chapter wasn't boring. _**


	13. Vader

_**Wow, reviews are pouring in, keep 'em comin, they keep me going. Also I am have MAJOR plot troubles with this new star wars fic I want to do, you know the one with Padmé and Vader, both Sith, I am having a horrible time trying to figure out where to start it, I must talk to one of my consultants, I'm telling you this because I am hoping after US3 is over you might want to read a new Vader/Padmé fic that has Darth Traya in it, yes I know I've done it before (yes I actually have, go check out Master and Apprentice 1 & 2) but I want to do another original one. I'll shut up now, read on.**_

Chapter 13: Vader

Days Later

Ravan and Mara had just arrived at Coruscant, they were surprised Vader had not demanded a report from them, word had almost surely reached his ears about what had happened on Rhen-Var, so it seemed a bit peculiar. Regardless of the fact Vader had not _requested_ they report to him they decided to do so, perhaps he just had a lot on his mind and if they didn't report to him and he realized he _wanted_ a report then they would have to face his wrath and everyone in the Empire knew how terrible that could be.

So both entered his throne room, the only thought on their minds was what had happened a few days ago in Ravan's quarters, and also how similar that was to what happened the previous night…. They reached the steps to the platform that led to Vader's throne, they ascended them and bowed to their emperor hastily, Vader seemed preoccupied with something, that much was clear from the first moment Mara and Ravan laid their eyes on him, he was sitting in his throne and looking over a red data pad intently, the color red indicated it was a medical report and the words on the back that read CLASSIFIED in large black font told them it was something they were not allowed to see. Vader didn't even look up when they addressed him.

"Greetings milord," Mara said.

"Greetings father," Ravan added shortly after that.

"Greetings," Vader replied, still immersed in reading that medical report.

"I trust you know what happened on Rhen-Var father." Ravan said, though he was almost certain Vader did not know what happened.

"No, I don't actually," Vader said, still reading the data pad, he had an air about him that warned them to get done with whatever they needed him for and get the hell away from him.

"We were attacked by the Loyalists, they kidnapped that Force sensitive woman we told you about, Admiral Piett replenished Alecto's supplies and repaired her base." Ravan reported. Vader hadn't even looked up which both thought was odd since he was so keen on finding and destroying the Loyalists, or perhaps he knew they had not been traced.

"Did you trace them?" Vader asked, apparently they were wrong, he was acting odd. He was much to preoccupied with something.

"No, we could not."

"It is of no consequence, Admiral Daala and Admiral Piett are continuing their searches, it is only a matter of time, now leave me."

So they did, walking into the back hallway towards their quarters, noting how odd Vader—

Both sensed it then, a flicker of a presence in Vader's room, just the slightest flicker and then it disappeared. Both looked at each other, wondering if they actually sensed it at all. If they did it was being well covered and someone just lost concentration for a brief moment, it was unlikely that a person cloaking themselves would do something like that, it was more likely that Vader himself was cloaking a presence and that he had lost concentration when he remembered he was hiding it and also was hit with the fact Mara and Ravan were practically right next to that person, this was of course a completely correct thought but neither Mara nor Ravan knew it.

They both suspected Vader was hiding something, deep down but alas it was nearly one in the morning, Ravan pecked Mara on the cheek quickly and both went their separate ways because Vader of course would kill them if they slept together as they had done the previous few nights, of course they could really make their own decisions now, after all they were legally adults at eighteen.

XxX

Vader stepped into the private communications room of the Imperial palace, Dr. Sergio was with him, the Kaminoans had made contact. Lama Su's image waited patiently on the holo projector, both he and Vader bowed respectfully toward one another.

"Your organs are finished growing Emperor Vader," Lama Su said. "We will have a Kaminoan surgeon deliver them to you privately, he can leave whenever you are ready."

"Tell him to leave now, we will immediately wire the promised amount of credits to your account Prime Minister Su."

"Very well Lord Vader, you can expect him to arrive soon, I trust that if you plan to heal yourself as I believe you can have synthetic limbs provided."

"It will not be a problem, it was a pleasure doing business with you, remember this must be kept completely confidential."

"Our business is always kept confidential Lord Vader, good day." Lama Su's image faded, Vader noted once more Lama Su had failed to return the "it was a pleasure doing business with you" comment. He didn't really care though, he walked hastily to speak with Padmé leaving Dr. Sergio to go back to his quarters.

XxX

Padmé was sitting on his sofa, watching the HoloNet, she looked up as Vader entered, the door shut swiftly behind him and locked.

"Hello Anakin."

"Hello Padmé," Vader said, and as far as he was concerned _Anakin _was still dead, perhaps one day when the Loyalists were defeated and the Republic restored Anakin would live again, today he was laying motionless in a stone casket buried deep somewhere in Vader's slowly lightening soul.

"The organs are ready Padmé, soon I will be healed."

Padmé smiled, Vader sat down next to her to find she was merely watching the news.

"That's great Anakin, when you are healed should I still continue to hide here?"

"I think just until I am fully recovered, I still have enemies Padmé, I need to protect you."

Truly Padmé did not need protection, regardless of what Vader thought or sensed, she was fully capable of handling any assassin, _any _assassin even if they were trained in the Force.

XxX

Byss

It was storming outside, dark clouds swirled above the Emperor's citadel, the whether matched Xarkun's mood and robes, dark. He sat as always with his hood raised over his bald head on the Emperor's throne waiting for a certain report, with this report events would be set in motion, events that would never be stopped and the Loyalists would rule as they truly should. Just as he had expected the doors to the long throne room opened and Grand Admiral Thrawn strode in, he bowed slightly to Xarkun.

"Is everything proceeding as we planned?" Xarkun asked.

"Of course Lord Xarkun, everything, the _Eclipse _has been completed on schedule."

"Is it operational?"

"I'm taking the liberty of having it tested myself."

"Excellent Grand Admiral, and the clones have they fully matured? The resurrection must go as planned."

"They are fully developed, we might begin the resurrection as early as tomorrow."

"This is good news Grand Admiral, do you believe our military has sufficient strength?"

"Yes, I have confidence in our power, once I am in command of the _Eclipse_ we will be unstoppable."

"Good," Xarkun said just as the doors opened once more and Dementra rushed in.

"Master," She said. "I've spliced into the Imperial palace's computers again, you are not gonna believe what I found."

Xarkun noticed a piece of paper was clutched in Dementra's long white fingers, black polish on her claw like nails. She held it up in front of him and what he saw made him smile because Vader's one true weakness could be exploited now. Padmé Amidala was alive.

"This is a picture taken from a security camera." Dementra said.

Indeed it was, Padmé was draped in a heavy cloak with a hood in an attempt to hide her identity, but a camera had caught a shot of her face.

"What picture?" Asked Kallisto as she strode up next to them, she took one look at Padmé and turned to Xarkun.

"What the hell is this?"

"She's alive," Dementra answered. "This picture was captured a few days ago."

"Good, good," Rasped a voice, they all turned as a ghostly black silhouette of the Emperor materialized before them. "Kill her, immediately."

"Excuse me?" Kallisto asked.

"This is my chance to begin my revenge on Vader. How does a fruit rot?"

"What?" Asked everyone in unison.

"It rots from the inside out," The Emperor answered himself. "This process can be used as a guideline to extract revenge, slowly a fruit rots from the core, slowly you can kill someone from the core. Padmé's death is the force that will do this to Vader."

"You know this isn't all I found." Dementra put in.

"Really?" The Emperor asked.

"Vader is having cloned organs brought to him from Kamino."

"Interesting…" The Emperor said, it was obvious why, Vader was not as mysterious as he would like to be. "He is going to heal himself, for her. Kill her immediately."

"I'll do it," Kallisto volunteered. "I want to visit my daughter again anyway."

"Very well Kallisto, but if you succeed and are captured because you want to talk with Mara Jade then you will be rescued again, but when you come back I will make sure you wish you hadn't."

"I understand."

"Excellent, my clones are complete, correct?"

"Yes my emperor." Thrawn said.

"I want to begin my resurrection tomorrow, and I want Padmé dead then as well."

"I'll get going then." Kallisto said.

"Do that, and Lady Dementra I have a task for you, continue talks with your sister, I feel that she might be close to breaking."

**_Now I have a pretty clear idea of where this story is going, I just need to figure out how to make a final battle original. Any suggestions, I was thinking of taking it straight to Byss once Vader finds out what has happened which of course is inevitable, oh yeah and a nice little surprise will be revealed in the next chapter._**


	14. Padmé

_**I gave Kallisto this assassination job because I wanted to have more of her in the fic, she is one of my favorite characters that I've ever created along with Alecto and Lord Xarkun, just thought I should say that.**_

Chapter 14: Padmé

Kallisto was taking a slightly different approach on infiltrating the palace than Dementra had, she decided she would rather fly in than tunnel in. She landed her unmarked civilian ship on a landing platform jutting from the side of that huge apartment building nearly right next to the palace, her plan was to gain access to the roof and use a modified jetpack to glide onto the tower which housed Vader's throne room, confirmed reports said that Vader was beginning his surgery on this black night. Other reports confirmed Vader had removed the security camera in his quarters which suggested that he was hiding something, probably Padmé, so that is where Kallisto was headed.

The moment she exited her ship, draped in a heavy cloak to disguise herself there was a loud thunderclap and cold rain began to fall, a flash of lightning illuminated the storm trooper heading towards Kallisto. He stopped her with an outstretched hand. She subtly pulled out her silenced blaster pistol under her robe.

"Registration please," The trooper demanded. Kallisto examined her surroundings quickly, he appeared to be the only guard on duty.

"My name is Kallisto, I'm an assassin and I am here to kill someone very important to Emperor Vader."

"No lies! What is your real name?"

"Ah, but I am not lying."

"You'd have to be lying, no one would be stupid enough to tell a guard they were an assassin."

"Unless of course that particular assassin had the know-how to plan ahead and she knew the guard wouldn't believe her if she told him she was an assassin, thus confusing him and giving her the chance to spill his tiny red guts out, understand?"

"Miss, I've been very patient but now I'm going to arrest you."

"So you've finally realized I am an assassin?"

"Nope, you're just refusing to give me your registration and annoying the hell out of me, hands on you head."

"I don't think so." Kallisto said pulling out her silenced blaster pistol and shooting the storm trooper in the head. He fell to the ground, splashing in the thin film of water that was covering the platform, Kallisto stepped over him and continued into the building where she entered a turbo lift and pressed the button to go the roof, the lift shot up and Kallisto shed her drenched robes, under which she was wearing her favorite red assassin suit, she had two shiny pistols holstered, one on each legs, as well as a lightsaber hanging from her belt. Black and strong bantha hide straps made and X across her chest supporting a state of the art jetpack on her back, small enough it was barely noticeable.

There was a ding and the lift doors pulled open, she stepped out onto the roof feeling the cold night air and the freezing rain on her exposed skin and hair, the drops felt like cold pins when they hit. She walked to the edge of the roof, her crimson boots making minute splashes in the water that was slowly draining from the roof via gutters. When she reached the edge she looked down at the palace, her vision was obscured by hundreds of thousands of rain drops, she could clearly see the throne room tower though and its glowing hexagonal window. Switching her jetpack on she looked up into the black night sky letting the cold rain fall on her face, then she let herself fall forward into a swan dive. She cut through the chilly, rainy air like a knife for several moments until she fully activated her jetpack and took off toward the tower, she hovered above it and dropped onto the roof. Her red hair was matted to her face, taking a rubber band she tied it behind her and then pulled out one of her pistols which was armed with a rappel line.

She shot it down on top of the tower smiling at how simple this plan was. Of course the palace did have auto turrets on its roof but they were designed to take down bombers, she was much to small to even be detected by them. She attached the rappel line to her belt and slid down along side the giant window unclipping a small sonic bomb from her belt. When she was at the middle right edge of the window she swung her left arm and planted the grenade on it, then quickly pressed the auto raise button on the system that attached her to the wet black cord, she shot up as the grenade detonated, sending out a sonic pulse that effectively shattered the window of the throne room, she pressed the release button on her cord and began to fall, at the last possible moment she used the Force like a slingshot to send her into the throne room, she landed and rolled on its floor, dripping cold water everywhere and pulling out her usable pistol in one swift move.

Six red robed guards were posted by the turbo lift, they were all running at her, force pikes activated and outstretched. She took two down with blaster shots, but they were close, pulling out her lightsaber she spun and cut another two down, the last two came at her, one jabbed with his pike but she dodged, sliced his hand off and decapitated him. The other hesitated as his comrade fell, he looked at her through the tinted visor of his helmet, she smiled and flipped her lightsaber, challenging him to bring it on!

He did, she took a swipe at her head but she simply ducked and stabbed him through the stomach, he clutched helplessly at the charred hole in his belly but to no avail, he fell backwards and tumbled down the stairs of the platform. Now she had to shut down the turbo lift, pressing a button on Vader's throne she watched as the lights on the outside of the lift flickered once and died. There was no stopping her now.

She sprinted to the arch way at the far end of the room and rounded the corner right into a fist, she fell to the ground, clutching her throbbing jaw. She looked up to see Mara standing over her, she looked infuriated, she pulled out her saber hilt and activated its scarlet blade.

"Hello Mara," Kallisto said.

"Hey _mom_," Mara spat. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Kallisto smiled and leapt up, pulling out her own blade, they began circling the floor, facing one another.

"I could ask you the same question couldn't I? I thought you might wise up and come with me, the Loyalists are eventually going to win this war. Mara you need to believe that I want to spare you of being a casualty."

"Shut up! Ever since we tried to kill Vader you have been a plague on my life! I don't know who you are, you abandoned me to the Emperor, you let him force me into this life! I was programmed to murder people and that programming was like going through hell! That bastard beat me, zapped me, and whipped me if I messed up one little thing and all the while you stood around pretending to watch over me and doing NOTHING!"

"I was lost then Mara, like you are now I was consumed by the dark side."

"You're still consumed by the dark side! Your subconscious is the damned Emperor!"

"Mara—"

"Don't pretend the Emperor is a plague on your life too! You joined him, you stayed with him even though he forced me to murder people! Do you have any idea how it feels? The first time you follow what you've been programmed to do and kill some innocent merchant who cheated your dictator out of a couple of credits is like—"

"Hell? Mara I've done the exact same things…"

"All because you wanted to _protect_ me? Right!"

"Yes, Mara I couldn't think clearly when I began my training, the lure of the dark side was so strong…"

"Allow me to relieve you of your pain!" Mara cried swiping at Kallisto's head, her blow never hit its mark as Kallisto raised her blade to parry Mara's. Mara pulled back, feigned a slash to the left and jabbed to the right, as though it had been rehearsed thousands of time Kallisto smoothly deflected the stab and retaliated with one of her own, Mara's blade caught hers and they locked.

It was a test of strength, Kallisto didn't have the time for it though, using the Force she called Mara's own pistol to her free hand and fired it, Mara deflected the bolt into a wall and kicked the pistol out of Kallisto's hand, following up by a roundhouse kick to her shoulder, Kallisto lost her footing and fell to the floor, pain shot up and down her arm.

Mara shook her head and raised her saber to kill but then found herself on the ground as well since Kallisto had rammed her legs with her booted feel, knocking her to the floor. Kallisto leapt up and bent over Mara.

"I'm sorry about this." She said gravely, she elbowed Mara in the face, rendering her unconscious. She picked her up and put her over her shoulder. It was a good thing Darth Ravan was up on the _Executor_ waiting while his father's surgery began, it was chosen to take place on that ship because it seemed safe. It truly was, Kallisto would never in her right mind attempt to assassinate Vader on board that mammoth star destroyer.

Back to business, she opened the door to Mara's quarters and deposited her in there; on her way out she closed the door and welded it shut with her lightsaber. Silently she apologized and went on to Vader's quarters, pulling out her pistol set to kill and keeping her humming blood red lightsaber in her other hand she hit the door release button and rolled in, coming up she looked around the area she was in. Nothing, she could not sense anything either, strange…. Then her senses set off warning alarms in her head as the door in the wall to her left popped out of it's socket and flew the length of the room into the following wall. Padmé Amidala stepped out, in her hands was a sapphire lightsaber.

"What the hell?" Kallisto asked herself more so than Padmé. "You were never a Jedi…."

"No, I wasn't but it turns out I've been Force sensitive all my life, after Anakin almost killed me my powers began to manifest and Obi-wan trained me in the ways of the Jedi."

"I bet that would make a hell of a read."

"There's nothing spectacular about it, I'm no more powerful that Obi-wan was, luckily neither are you."

"Trying to insult me? It's a joke to call you a Jedi."

"Regardless of what you may think I have the power to kill you, I'll give you a chance to go now."

"When did we switch places? I'm the assassin here, not the other way around."

"Whatever, I'll be nice and give you the opening move."

"You just made the last mistake of your life." Kallisto said threateningly. She snapped her pistol back into its holster and leapt into the air, saber out in front of her and spinning like some sort of drill, a drill that was about to stab through Padmé. Of course that didn't happen, Padmé leapt to the right and Kallisto stopped herself, turning to face her. It was Padmé's turn, she feigned an upper cut, then a kick and finally swiped at Kallisto's head, didn't everyone?

Kallisto ducked and attempted a sweep kick but Padmé wasn't as stupid as she had initially thought, she hopped into the air and let Kallisto's foot slid under her's. Kallisto arose just in time to catch an overhand strike for her head. The two sabers locked, both above Kallisto's semi dry red hair, they were a combination of fire and water, spitting and hissing at one another both trying to overcome the other. As it turned out Padmé was stronger than Kallisto. Kallisto began to feel the heat above her head from her own lightsaber, she felt her arms buckling under Padmé's strength. She would have to let go—

She did and rolled out of the way as Padmé's lightsaber plunged into the carpet, burning it like nothing. Padmé pulled it up and put it down to Kallisto's neck.

"Who made the last mistake of their lives now?"

Kallisto's mind raced to find a solution to this problem, she traced the Force for any path out of this situation, it didn't provide her with any until Padmé sidestepped a little to the right, allowing the arm and hand Kallisto was holding her lightsaber with the proper angle to go up.

"You." Kallisto replied bringing her left arm up hard and knocking the lightsaber out of Padmé's hands. It flew straight into the wall, deactivated, and its unlit hilt slid to the floor with a small clink. Padmé back flipped over Vader's sofa as Kallisto's lightsaber hissed and plunged into it. As she pulled it out she sensed something… as fast as lightning the dropped to the ground just as the HoloNet screen flew over her. When it crashed into the wall she was on her feet and Padmé already had her blade in hand. She ran at Kallisto and the duel began all over again.

Padmé was definitely skilled in the ways of swordplay, that much was clear, she was also shockingly skilled in the ways of the Force, perhaps she was more that Kallisto could handle? The answer to that was yes. Kallisto parried one last strike from Padmé and then was hit in the side with the glowing sapphire blade. She fell to the ground and backed away, feeling herself go out of the open door, Padmé was coming for her, she had to go, despite the pain in her side she leapt up and ran to the shattered throne room window, jumped out and activated her jetpack.

Padmé sighed in relief, wiped a few beads of sweat from her forehead and deactivated her lightsaber. Something caught her ear then, a loud bang. She ran back into the hall that led to certain people's quarters and found the banging emanating from Mara Jade's door which was welded shut, she found Mara's lightsaber on the ground a couple feet away.

"Stand back!" Padmé shouted plunging her saber into the door and cutting it open. It fell back into the room, Mara looked at it and then her gaze traveled to Padmé, her jaw might as well have hit the floor.

"You're dead!"

"Don't believe everything you hear." Padmé replied, tossing Mara her lightsaber with the Force, Mara clipped it to her belt and Padmé hid her own blade back under her long robes.

"Where is she?!"

"The red head? She escaped."

"Damn it!"

"I sense a relationship between you, she's your mother."

"No she's not!"

"Biologically she is, now we have to go to the _Executor_ and warn its commanding officer, they might try to assassinate Anakin too."

"Anakin?"

"Vader, do you have a ship we can use?"

"Yeah, follow me."

**_You didn't think I was going to bring Padmé back to make her sit around like a weak heroine and edge Vader back to the light did you? Of course not! Review as they are much appreciated. _**


	15. Resurrection

**_Why I named this chapter Resurrection is anyone's guess (sarcasm). I was also thinking about re-titling Unknown Son 3 to Unknown Son 3: Redemption. What do you think?_**

Chapter 15: Resurrection

Byss

Livia was in bad shape, seriously the worst she had ever been in her entire life, or even seen some other person in. The back and leg parts of her prison outfit were riddled with gashes in the cloth along with gashes in her flesh, some were still open, others were half healed, very few were now mere scars all done by Lord Xarkun's whip.

Xarkun, Kallisto, or even her own sister Dementra had come in everyday at the same time like clockwork to do something horrible to her and convince her to join them. She suspected she had a limited time to take the offer, she wasn't afraid to die but she was afraid to be tortured anymore, the idea of joining with them in an attempt to escape the hell she existed in was starting to look like the unsurpassed and inevitable option.

Her stomach growled. She was now being deprived of food, water, and other human contact besides her captors. They had literally tried every sort of torture possible, she couldn't even begin to fathom how many they had used on her. She looked up through her tangled hair and Dementra entered.

"What's your answer?" She asked right off the bat.

"Never!" Livia said, less confidently then ever before, she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. Dementra smiled, seeing too that Livia was indeed breaking.

Dementra extended her hands, Livia knew what was coming and she winced before the first wave of blue white lightning hit her. When it finally did she screamed withered in unfathomable agony. She had to do something now! Anything to stop this, anything to make this all go away! Even as the lighting jolted through her body a plan formed in her head, perhaps she could join them and escape. That may be what it would ultimately come down to… Dementra's lightning ceased.

"If you think this is bad just wait until the Emperor gets a hold of you, his resurrection is beginning soon, you still want to be defiant?"

"I will not join you." Livia stated, Dementra noticed Livia said _not_ instead of _never_. She began again.

XxX

Sidious's clones were fully matured; his resurrection was taking place immediately. In the middle of the Emperor's Citadel on the planet Byss was a large dark, circular room used mostly for conferences. Near the ceilings were several glass encased balconies on which important Loyalist's stood looking down, the most important of these was Grand Admiral Thrawn.

One of the Emperor's clones, the one chosen for the resurrection lay on a large stone table in the middle of the dark room, Lord Xarkun kneeled to one side of it, connecting with the Force. It was his job to let Sidious use his body as a vessel in order to transfer his conscious self into the clone.

The clone itself looked exactly as Palpatine had just before the Clone Wars ended, before that pivotal battle with Mace Windu which made him look so horrible. Xarkun took a deep breath, the Loyalist officials watched eagerly, it was about to begin.

Thrawn turned as Kallisto ran onto his private box.

"What happened?" Thrawn asked.

"I failed," Kallisto snapped. "I need some bacta, I got cut with a lightsaber, it turns out Amidala was trained as a Jedi by Obi-wan Kenobi during the years she was supposed to be dead."

"Alright, I'll call in the paramedics."

"I don't need the damn medics! I need a couple stitches and some bacta."

"Right now Kallisto you may be the superior of every officer in these balconies but I am yours, who do you think you are to speak to me that way?"

"Just get me some bacta, this cut hurts like hell!"

"Why didn't you treat it en-route to Byss?"

"Number one I didn't have the supplies, number two I had to avoid an attack wing of TIE fighters, number three it's only an hour here to Coruscant in hyper space!"

"Alright, I'm calling someone now."

Back near the lifeless yet living body of the Emperor Xarkun stood up and spread his arms out as the Emperor took control of his body, soon he would live again.

XxX

_Executor_

The supposed-to-be-dead Padmé Amidala walked straight across the bridge of the _Executor _despite the stares from the flabbergasted and stricken officers, Mara Jade in her wake. Admiral Piett turned to see them both and looked somewhat shocked himself for a moment, but he had unconfirmed reports on what happened at the palace so he really wasn't all that surprised.

"Lady Vader—"

"My name is Lady Skywalker." Padmé corrected. "Listen, an assassin broke into the palace about an hour ago and tried to kill me, her name was Killisto—"

"Kallisto," Mara corrected

"Kallisto, she tried to kill me, Admiral tell me how Ana—Vader is."

"He's fine Lady Skywalker,"

"Someone better check on his condition, if they tried to assassinate me they might try to kill him too."

"That is a good suggestion Lady Skywalker but I am not allowed to take orders from you."

"I'm still married to Anak—Vader, I never had the marriage annulled so technically I am the Empress, you will take orders from me."

"Very well," Piett replied, seeing no flaw in that assessment. He turned to the security commander on the bridge. "Send an elite force down to guard Vader, make sure nothing is already going wrong with his surgery, make sure Doctor Sergio keeps a keen eye out, kill any surgeon who looks suspicious, go now!"

"Yes sir!"

XxX

Byss

The sickly yellow and red tinged eyes of Sidious's clone opened, Xarkun fell to the floor zapped of strength. The recently deceased Lord Sidious sat up and cackled horrendously.

"I have returned." He whispered more to himself. He looked up as the high ranking Loyalists all bowed, he stood up, his long black robe touching the ground and he pulled his hood up. He looked down at Lord Xarkun who was recovered. Extending a hand he transferred more Force energy into his trusted servant healing his unseen wound. Xarkun half stood and kneeled.

"Rise," Sidious's voice rasped and echoed through the room. Everyone rose from their positions. "This day marks the rebirth of the true Empire! Soon Vader, his son and his wife will die!"

The entire room rang with a thunderous applause, everything was proceeding as planned and the end of Vader and his short reign was beginning.

_**As you might be able to tell this story is reaching its end. I'm not sure it will make 20 chapters but that is a good estimate, the next chapter will mark the path to the stories final climax including a battle over Byss, followed by a battle on Byss and then afterwards perhaps the event that will mark the beginning on Vader's actual redemption but I'll leave that open for the imagination I guess because I don't really want to spend 5 more chapters on Vader writing his wrongs as they are far to numerous and I have other fics to move on to. **_


	16. The Escape

Chapter 16: The Escape

Livia sat in her cell, her prison garments had since been replaced when Xarkun whipped her one final time and a leg of her pants fell off. She had new garments but she didn't have new flesh which was just as torn as her old clothes, she could not finalize her plan of escape she couldn't even _think_. She was constantly in pain, she had used her Force abilities to heal some of her wounds, mostly the major ones that could potentially threaten her plan of escape, all the while dark thoughts crept through her mind, she wanted to murder Dementra despite their blood relation, she wanted murder Kallisto, and she wanted to strangle Lord Xarkun with her bare hands.

These thoughts scared her, they terrified her. It was her nature to have a dark aura in the Force, she was a Nightsister but she had never been truly evil like her sister. Now she was beginning to head down that direction, the only way she could think to redeem herself was to escape and help the Empire destroy these beasts who she decided were so full of malice Vader would never match them, therefore he was the better side and it was only right that he should win, despite the fact he could be cruel at times but only for good reasons (so she had heard), he would only kill anyone for some sort of intolerable act of disobedience or failure, sure that might seem harsh but any of the Sith here, Xarkun, Kallisto, Dementra, Sidious, any of them would kill someone for walking the wrong way, less than that even. They had to be stopped and she had to get out.

Then her worst fears were realized as Darth Sidious himself entered her cell, he looked like he had when she had first met him. Amazing, he was able to come back from the dead and make himself look better as well.

"Livia, hello my dear." Sidious hissed. "Are you ready to join me? My patience is running extremely thin and I can't keep you in this cell forever—

"I'm ready." Livia said, she forced herself to _think _it as well, she was good at that. She buried her true intents deep in her mind, locking them behind sticks, stone, and steel, securing them in forts, palaces, and star destroyers. She felt the Emperor enter her mind, searching thoroughly, he found no rebellious thoughts, though they were there.

"Very well, you will join us, effective immediately, you made the right choice my dear. Let's get you out of this cell and into your own clothing."

"A shower would be nice." Livia said, knowing the public troop freshers were in the near vicinity of the hanger bays.

"Very well." Sidious replied, he called in two guards who escorted Livia to the prison storage area where she was able to dress in her own clothes and retrieve all her belongings, including a lightsaber she had kept for what seemed like eons, she put it in a secret pocket in her boot, cleverly disguised so it looked like it wasn't there at all.

XxX

Her guard escort had left her at the troop freshers, the hall she was in was deserted save one storm trooper standing guard, this was that hall that led to the hanger after all. Livia entered the woman's fresher which wasn't very big as very little troops that worked here were women. Livia entered the fresher, once she was satisfied no one was in there she removed her clothing, she had to fit in the storm trooper's armor and what she was wearing wouldn't cut it. She had to make this look convincing as well, she stepped into the shower and turned it on letting it wet her down some, then she ran to the door wearing only her undergarments, a towel over them. The door opened and she ran out and called to the trooper.

"I think there's a bomb in there!" She called to him. He eagerly ran towards her and she suspected it wasn't because he was concerned about the possible bomb threat, pervert. He edged him into the fresher; once he was directly in front of her she reached out and snapped his neck. Quickly she stripped him of his armor and put it on herself, the under mesh stuck to her still damp body like a second skin. She picked the clothe-less man up and deposited him in the still running shower, covering him with her clothes, taking her lightsaber and stashing it in the blaster holster at her side she held the gun she had stolen from him at the ready and walked out of the fresher. Luckily there was still no one in the hall.

She headed to the hanger and once she was in she stole a cargo shuttle and sped off the planet with all speed, jumping to hyperspace at her first chance. She was free.

XxX

Padmé sat Mara and her son Luke next to her on a bench across the hall from the entrance to the _Executor's_ giant infirmary. Two red robed guards stood by the door motionless, Luke had been shocked when he found out who Padmé was, but she had cleared everything up and continued to call him Luke though everyone else seemed to refer to him as Lord Ravan.

Vader's surgery had ended, they watched as a pale white man in a wheel chair with numerous scars on his head, cheek, and what was left of his arms exited the infirmary. He sat in a hovering chair, pushed by two doctors, he had lost both of his arms, though no one would know because one was covered in synthetic flesh, the other one that he had lost to Count Dooku looked as it always had when Padmé saw him last. His legs were mechanical as well, but covered in synthetic flesh as well, he wore a comfortable black robe and looked exhausted but well. It would take a while for his skin to regain color, and for his hair to grow back but it would. Right now he resembled the same Anakin (with much aging and scarring) Padmé had known before. She stood up and hugged him which nearly gave him a heart attack because Padmé on the _Executor _with Ravan and Mara was the last thing he expected, no actually the lightsaber he saw in Padmé's sleeve shocked him the most, or maybe it was that he could sense the Force power around her.

"Padmé?" He asked in a confused and somewhat raspy voice.

"It was Obi-wan, he trained me, my Force powers manifested a while after what happened on Mustafar."

"Please!" One of the doctors said. "Don't crowd him, he needs a while to rest."

"I'm fine." Vader hissed. The doctor immediately backed off the subject.

"Why are you up here though?" Vader asked Padmé.

"Because my _mother_ tried to assassinate her." Mara said. "She almost killed me too."

"Are you alright Padmé?"

"I'm fine."

"Did you manage to track Kallisto?"

"No," Ravan said. "It's nice to see you father."

"It's nice to not see you through a red filter son."

"How long will it take for you to fully recover Anakin?" Padmé asked.

"With proper physical therapy and rest ten days at the most, along with submersions in a bacta tank." A doctor said.

"That's good." Ravan said.

"Lord Vader!" Cried Admiral Piett, walking swiftly down the hall.

"What is it admiral?" Vader asked.

Piett stopped and stared at Vader's white and bald head for a moment, the thoughts about how bad he looked made Vader's eyes turn yellow.

"A woman has just requested landing."

"And?" Ravan and Vader both asked in unison.

"I granted her permission."

"Why did you do this admiral?" Vader asked.

"Because, she claims she escaped from the Loyalist's main base. Her name is Livia."

Mara and Ravan both exchanged looks.

"That is the woman who was kidnapped from Alecto's base." Mara said.

"Send her here, now!" Vader ordered. They all watched as a woman walked down the hall, her hair black and her face pain, she wore the armor of the storm trooper.

"Emperor Vader," She said. "My name is Livia, I know where the Loyalist base is. I don't have the name of the planet but I have coordinates."

XxX

Byss

"She escaped, did she?" The Emperor asked himself, he was perched on his black thrown like a dangerous hawk, waiting to swoop down and attack its prey. The warden of the prison section in the Citadel stood before him, expecting that he would die this day.

"Yes sir," The warden said. "Livia has escaped."

"Were any other prisoners released?"

"No sir."

"It is of no consequence, she will most likely flee to a remote planet and hide."

"I doubt that milord, with all due respect." Grand Admiral Thrawn said, emerging from the shadows to the right of the room and coming next to the warden. "I believe she might go to Darth Vader, I recommend with begin our attack on Coruscant with all haste."

"We are not ready Admiral Thrawn. The Eclipse's laser is not yet fully operational."

"Why do we need it operational?"

"I want to destroy Coruscant Admiral, and I want Byss as the new capitol of the Empire."

"Well if you believe it wise to wait then I highly suggest you bring in our entire fleet and form a blockade around Byss to prevent a possible attack."

"See that it is done then," The Emperor commanded, throwing out a gesture with his hand, it felt good to be physically sitting on his chair, it felt empowering like the first time he had ever used the Force under his master Darth Plaguis's tutelage. Thrawn slightly bowed and strode out of the throne room. Sidious shifted his attention back to the terrified warden.

"You,"

"Y-yes milord?"

"Die."

Sidious extended a hand and the warden fell to the ground as some invisible hand grasped his heart and yanked it free of the arteries connecting it to the web of veins and vessels throughout his entire body, he died quickly. Sidious laughed, he was back and more powerful than ever.

**_Review as they are much appreciated and they are what keep me going. _**


	17. Battle over Byss

**_Okay, now I'm sure all of you have no idea what this chapter is going to be about (sarcasm!) but I'll ask you to read and find out, then review! Also this chapter is probably going to be quite long. I've said that before on some chapters and they were short so you never know._**

Chapter 17: Battle over Byss

16 Days after Previous Chapter

Lord Vader was fully healed, physically therapy had helped him to regain the ability to walk, to jump, to kick, to do pretty much anything that one could do on two legs, mechanical or not. He had regained the color in his skin through the process of tanning and now thanks to a scientific breakthrough in hair growth serum he had a flat top, luckily not much of it was gray, he hadn't aged well at all, just like Padmé.

The plans for a takeover of the planet Livia had provided information about were complete. Somewhat, they had a recon mission done on the planet and from what they could tell its entire population were slaves and storm troopers. They had even put a name to the planet, it was called Byss. Admiral Piett, Admiral Daala, Vice Admiral Kratas, Admiral Pellaeon, Vader, Padmé, Ravan, Mara, and Livia had sat down at a huge round table after receiving this information and through long painstaking hours they had formed a plan, Padmé's diplomacy skills actually turned out to be valuable in the meeting with convincing a doubtful Vice Admiral Kratas the plan would succeed.

This is what they had, Admiral Piett will head the attack with his fleet, they had no idea what kind of space force they would face because the Emperor who Vader found out was resurrected has not put any ships on post, but they were confident Piett had the power to handle it. Along with Piett would be Padmé, Vader, and Livia. Admiral Daala would come in a few minutes after that, behind the battle, Mara and Ravan would accompany her aboard the _Knight Hammer_. While Piett's fleet held the Emperor's forces at bay Mara and Ravan would lead an army down onto Byss, clear the area around the Emperor's citadel and invade it. This would be the first full scale battle since the Clone Wars, nothing this big was ever done against the pitiful Rebel Alliance when they were still operation. Also a veteran legion from the Clone Wars would be marching into battle again, the 501st, also known as Vader's Fist. They had a reputation for getting their job done with minimal losses.

After the surrounding area of the palace was cleared Vader, Padmé, and Livia would move in with a second wave, consisting of two legions and together they would all storm the citadel. Livia had provided the identities of the Sith Lord who had been the mastermind of the Loyalists in Sidious and Kallisto's absence, his name was Lord Xarkun and his apprentice was that Dementra woman. Vader was looking forward to making his acquaintance, and then stabbing him through the heart. He sat with Padmé is his quarters, wearing clothes for the first time again in almost eighteen years, or a Sith robe at least.

"Padmé, I'm tired and I am sorry for all the things that I've done. I killed Obi-wan, I killed Leia, and I corrupted our son. When this is over I promise I'll set things right." Vader said, for the first time in a long time he spoke in his own voice.

"I knew there was good in you still Anakin." Padmé said, leaning her head onto his broad shoulders, the only parts of his arms that were still real flesh. "I love you."

"I love you Padmé." Vader replied, and he did, after he thought he had killed her there had not been a day that went by where he didn't regret what he had done. It wasn't an excuse but it was what fueled most of his actions, he didn't know how to live after Padmé died.

"Padmé, I've been thinking."

"About what?"

"Restoring the Republic… the Empire is the way of life Padmé, if I totally change the government there could be a revolt."

"That is true, there are many out there that are twisted enough to like the Empire. I can sense them."

"I can too which is why we must keep the Empire. But we have to restore democracy as well, what if I reestablished a senate and redrafted the constitution? The Emperor would be elected and serve for life unless two thirds of the senate voted to impeach him before then by the people's will."

"It needs working on Anakin, governments aren't that simple."

"I know, that's just an idea I have, I've had it for a while." Vader said. "Padmé, how did we get into politics again?"

Padmé laughed. "You've always hated politics, haven't you Anakin?"

"It's ironic that I am the leader of a government then."

Vader felt something when she called him Anakin, it was like she was accepting him, but he could never accept himself. He would never be redeemed. Padmé could sense his thoughts.

"You're doing the right thing Anakin, stop clinging to Vader's chains."

"I can't Padmé, I need to be punished for what I've done, the name Vader is my eternal damnation."

"You'll always be Anakin to me."

"I'll always be Vader,"

"No you won't, I have faith in you."

XxX

Vader watched from the bridge of the _Executor_ as the fleet jumped into hyperspace, Padmé was alongside him and Livia was off in a corner. Mara and Ravan witnessed the star lines flying past aboard the bridge of the _Knight Hammer_ along with Admiral Daala, soon they would arrive at Byss and so the battle would begin.

XxX

Grand Admiral Thrawn stood on the bridge of the _Eclipse_ for the second time in his life. It was like a normal super star destroyer's bridge, the ship itself was not a normal super star destroyer. It was substantially larger in size, and most importantly is housed a super laser, not as powerful as the Death Star's had been but it had the capability to take down anything as big as itself with a single blast, it was capable of scorching planets as well. It's shape was different too, it looked like a large triangle from a bird's eye view but from the side it seemed to be growing a long claw at the front, soon all who ventured in space would fear this ship!

Velorous approached the grand admiral rapidly.

"Sir we read dozens of star destroyers as well as two super star destroyers about to exit hyperspace!" Velorous cried in alarm.

"Instruct the gunners to report to their stations immediately, power up the main batteries and instruct our starboard and port guard star destroyers to move in front of up in front of us. Charge the super laser."

"Yes sir!" Velorous said and ran off. Thrawn turned his attention to the calm space before him and his exceptionally large fleet, it was stationary a mellow for a while and then spots of it rippled and dozens upon dozens of star destroyers, including a mammoth super star destroyer shot out of hyperspace directly in front of his fleet, another wave led by an odd looking black super star destroyer came out behind them. This didn't particularly give the _Eclipse_ a prime firing position, one of the enemy fleets was in the way of the other, Thrawn suspected what the other would be doing back there, sending down ground troops, he had to compensate for this somehow, but even with his military genius he didn't know how to.

"Inform the Emperor what is happening, power up the shields and open fire on that star super star destroyer." Thrawn ordered.

XxX

"Interesting, it seems our grand admiral was right." Sidious said as captain Velorous's hologram faded away. Kallisto stood with him, Xarkun and Dementra were elsewhere now. "Vader has attacked."

Sidious pressed a button on the holoprojector before him and a tactical readout of the battle in space sprang up. He was outnumbered significantly but he had faith in the grand admiral.

"Shall I join the space battle?" Kallisto asked.

"No," Sidious replied and pointed at the wave behind the leading opposing force, led by a dark super star destroyer. "You see them? Their purpose is to send ground forces down. They will have an army down here large enough to take ten systems, rouse the palace guard, have all available troops prepared for battle including every single dark trooper he have activated. Mobilize all AT-AT and AT-ST walkers, make sure you have a substantial amount of anti aircraft walkers deployed, let my generals decide on what to do next. Go."

"Yes sir." Kallisto said. Once she was gone Sidious had one of his guards ready his shuttle, if event went in Vader's favor he would leave, he could rebuild again, but he hoped it would not come to that. Rage burned inside him, Vader would die this day, he had to make sure of that.

XxX

"This is no good Lord Vader." Admiral Piett said. After constant hammering upon the _Eclipse's_ hull and shields by the _Executor's_ batteries nothing good was coming of it and the _Executor _was taking more damage than the _Eclipse_, a tenth of its port side batteries were down. They had to destroy it, Vader had an idea.

"I will be going out admiral, see to it that my ASAT is prepped." Vader commanded.

"I'm going with you," Padmé said. "I'm no pilot battle, but I am going with you."

"You may be my co-pilot." Vader said.

"There's no way you're leaving me out of this." Livia said. "I want to kill every single one of those damn Loyalists!"

"I can have an advanced X1 TIE fighter prepared for you." Piett offered.

"Yeah," Livia said. "Yeah, do that."

XxX

"What's this idea you have Lord Vader?" Livia asked through the comm channel both Vader and she were on. Vader sat behind the controls of his large ASAT (advanced Sith assault TIE), Livia behind the controls of an X1. Padmé sat with Vader in the co-pilot's seat.

"Well," Vader began, he turned the yoke and the ship responded by swinging to the left. He told Padmé: "Lock onto him."

He watched as the crosshairs in his targeting screen flashed, circled around a wire frame and three dimensional image of the enemy TIE fighter ahead of him and finally stopped over it. He fired two green laser bolts from his ship that hit the TIE hard, causing it to explode in a cloud of superheated gas.

"That super laser on the Eclipse, you see it?"

"Yeah." Livia replied.

"I was thinking, there's a hole in it, I think there would be enough clearance to launch a proton torpedo into it and hit the main reactor of the ship."

"Anakin!" Padmé cried. Three TIE's were on his tail.

"Livia, cover me!" He ordered. He dived rapidly towards the hull of a star destroyer below him, one of Daala's, transports were beginning to flow from her fleet as well as hundreds, maybe thousands of TIE fighters. He pulled up at the last possible second, just above the smooth gray hull, he hoped the trick would be effective enough to cause his enemies to crash, this was not the case, they pulled up long before him and whilst

he was flying above the hull of the star destroyer glided down smoothly behind him.

"I'm going to flank them." Livia said.

"You do that." Vader replied. The TIE fighters opened fire. He pulled the yoke up, and then to the side, and any way he could to dodge. Little green laser blasts lanced across the ASAT and into space, some hit the hull of the star destroyer making minuscule scorch marks, some hit the back of the ship. Vader switched power to the rear deflector shields, not before one shot got lucky and cut a power line. The entire ship died, neither Vader or Padmé could breath for a moment as the life support failed, Vader hit a switch and the power was rerouted, everything came back online, Vader pulled up just as the wings of the ASAT began to scrape the star destroyer.

"Don't do that again Anakin." Padmé said.

"You sound like Obi-wan now."

"Vader!" Livia cried. "Are you alright?"

"Yes," Vader replied, dodging another flurry of laser fire. "Where the hell are you?"

"I'm almost there…"

"Hurry up."

They were getting close to the bridge tower, Vader made a sharp left and skimmed the back of the tower, he was lucky enough that one of his pursuers crashed, but the other two were more adept at piloting. Vader was getting close to the drop off into space. He pulled down as he cleared the star destroyer, speeding up he headed for the looming _Eclipse_, having a more clear shot now his enemies opened fire, Vader had one last trick. He completely killed his engines, his pursues zoomed past him, at the flick of a switch the hunters became the hunted. Vader opened fire, taking down one TIE fighter, the last, recovering from the shock at Vader's trick began to dodge. Vader didn't even have to tell Padmé what to do. She locked onto the remaining TIE fighter and launched a heat seeking missile at him. The fighter exploded and became one with space dust.

"Where he hell were you at?" Vader shouted at Livia as she pulled up along side him.

"I was trying to save you! You've got to get new targeting computers on these X1s, I have to constantly readjust it!"

"We need to get to the—"

Vader didn't finish his sentence, there was a blast of blinding emerald light, hundreds of voices cried out in terror through the Force and were silenced. Vader's spotty vision came back to normal and what he saw half made him infuriated, half shocked him. The _Eclipse_ had fired its super laser; its target had been the _Executor. _Vader looked up to see a huge gash in the starboard side of the Executor that went right near the main reactor, the ship was almost split in half. Padmé, Vader and Livia watched in horror as the thin needle like section that held the ship together snapped like a simple twig, the front half of the _Executor_ began to tilt forward and glide down; the black half which housed the small bridge tower did the opposite. Vader felt angered, and somewhat pained, that had been _his_ ship, everyone on there had served under him, and now significantly more than nineteen twentieths of the crew were going to die, hopefully some would make it to the escape pods, if Admiral Piett did Vader was giving him the status of Grand Admiral.

"Lord Vader…" Livia said.

"We're going to commence with the plan. Get near the _Eclipse's_ gun and shoot a proton torpedo down it, make sure it's locked into the bigges power source you can find… let's go." Vader said, he glanced one more time at the slip super star destroyer above him, this loss was major, and hopefully the only one they would suffer. Vader wondered if his son and his (despite how much he disapproved) one love would do on the ground of the planet… he wondered.

XxX

Alarms flared on the bridge of the _Executor_. Power crashed, gravity was turned off like a light, life support systems ceased to function, though no one would know it for there was already so much air in circulation. Piett felt himself float off the bridge, suspended for a moment, crew members felt the same phenomenon, it was inhumanly silent for a moment that seemed to stretch into hours, and then everything snapped back to horrible reality. Backup generators kicked online, red lights flickered and came online, the gravity fluctuated, from the ceiling to the floor, Piett had a horrible pain in his back after that. He stood up and happened to get a look out of the bridge view ports, the entire ship had split, just behind its main reactor which was exposed on the half falling away from him.

"Dear lord… "Piett murmured. Crew members around him ground and stood up; others were dead, tangled in the wiring from burst control consoles. Piett himself stood up and tossed off his cap. An officer came up behind him.

"What do we do admiral?"

Everyone's attention snapped to his direction.

"Abandon ship, go now!"

**_Goody, battles have started, as you might be able to tell writing fights between people is my specialty, space battles and dogfights I don't know much about, though hopefully you can't tell. _**


	18. There is no Harmony, There is Chaos

_**Here's another use of the Sith code for you, because I am a Sith.**_

Chapter 18: There is no Harmony, There is Chaos

Mara and Ravan watched, stunned as the Executor began to explode into a billion pieces of cosmic dust. A tear fell down Ravan's eye.

"My… mother."

"She wasn't on there Ravan, don't worry about it." Mara said, though she didn't know for sure, she felt a sting of pain herself. There was something going on in Ravan and in herself, it had been that way ever since Padmé returned, the same was even true for Vader, the black ice that covered their hearts was beginning to melt away in the ray of light Padmé cast.

"Milord, milady?" Daala asked behind them.

"What is it admiral?" Ravan asked.

"The last troop transport is about to leave. It is to my understanding that you two are supposed to accompany it and lead the land battle."

"You're correct admiral," Ravan said. "See to it that the pilot waits."

"Of course."

XxX

Grand Admiral Thrawn loomed over a tactical, holographic readout of the ongoing space battle. He studied certain spots on his ship, armor had broken loose in several gun bay areas due to the constant hammering of enemy star destroyer's turbo lasers. Something caught his eye, two TIE class ships were at the front of the _Eclipse_, right near the end of the super laser barrel.

"Tech officer!" Thrawn called. A spindly man with gray hair approached him, he was one of the supervising technicians that helped build this monstrous ship.

"Yes grand admiral?" He asked.

"Those TIE fighters," Thrawn said, pointing at the two ships. "It is my belief they are going to fire a missile down the laser bay, is that a theoretical possibility?"

"I suppose so, the hole in which the laser exits is no bigger than a computer monitor, I guess a missile could in theory enter it but it would never make it all the way down the barrel and to the main reactor."

"Proton torpedoes have quiet a long range."

"Our reactor has a lot of armor on it, the it would have to be a ballistic proton torpedo to penetrate that, I don't believe the Empire has any small enough in production."

"I certainly hope you are right officer, have a squadron of TIE interceptors take care of them."

XxX

Vader and Livia both had their ships orbiting around the end of the laser barrel. They were trying to get a lock on the small opening, their plan was to fire a ballistic proton torpedo down it. The Empire had built prototypes of a new, smaller kind, perhaps small enough to enter the barrel.

"I have a lock," Vader finally said. "Fireing."

His hand hit a red button and a torpedo flew out of a hidden compartment in his ship, it entered the barrel cleanly.

"Let's get out of the way." Livia said.

XxX

The entire readout in front of Thrawn flashed red, then back to a normal blue, then red, and so on. Alarms flared to life, he noticed the TIE craft zooming away. A warning flashed up, a high heat proximity readout in the laser barrel. Thrawn's eye widened.

"Tech officer!" He cried. The man ran up to him once more.

"I think they just fired a ballistic proton torpedo down the barrel."

"That is impossible grand admiral."

"I think not, prepare my escape pod."

XxX

The Emperor's citadel had the appearance of a large, black mushroom. It's surface had the appearance of black marble, yet when the right light hit it there was red tinge. Mara and Ravan noted this as their transport touched down in a mass of storm troopers, weapons, and crates of ammo and whatnot. Mara exited first, followed by Ravan, they had touched down by a mobile command center, the commander of the battle, accompanied by two phase three dark troopers approached them. He looked insignificant next to their tank like structure. He bowed lightly to his superiors.

"I've finalized the battle plans." He announced, he pointed to the giant hill they were behind. "Over that hill the Emperor's defenses are amassing. From what we can tell there are many, and they are well armed. We've decided that our force will advance AT-ST walkers at the front line, followed by our infantry and our AT-AT walkers. We are about to send out a bombing run, once it is complete all phase three dark troopers will fly and drop down in front of enemy lines and open fire, phase two dark troopers will follow and attack, we will come over that hill and hopefully it'll go our way from there.

"The 303rd and the 447th legions are taking other key areas on the planet. My name is commander X34234 of the 501st legion, Emperor's finest. Give the order."

Mara and Ravan looked at one another.

"Commence when ready commander." Ravan said.

"Aye sir!" He said turning to a lieutenant. "Alert the bombers to commence operations, blow those Loyalists into the abyss!"

"Yes sir!"

XxX

"Admiral!" Vice Admiral Kratas cried, Daala turned from the view port, tears in her eyes, the _Eclipse_ was gone, this was a great victory.

"Yes Kratas?" She asked.

"A transport just came out of hyperspace, they wanted to speak with the commanding officer."

"Route them to Admiral Piett, he is in an escape pod headed this way."

"We have a report that his communications are not functioning properly. Shall I route their call to the bridge?"

"Yes, do that."

Daala turned to face the spot where the image of the contactor would appear. A blue light blinked into existence and the body of a tall woman wearing a long leather coat appeared, she looked like a space pirate.

"Admiral Daala?" She asked. Daala noted her accented voice.

"Yes,"

"My name is Alecto. I heard about this attack, tell me, where is Mara Jade, I want to provide assistance."

"Alecto! I'm so sorry I didn't recognize you." Daala said, remembering Alecto from her days following Mara and attempting to destroy Vader. "Mara is on the ground, leading the battle. If you touch down you could provide assistance."

"Thank you Daala," Alecto said, she turned half out of view and smacked someone. "Shut up! I'm talkin' to the admiral, we clear?"

"We're clear." The gruff voice of a smuggler replied.

"Very good Admiral, I'm headed out."

"May the Force be with you."

**_My grandma Betty had passed away today, February 24 around 4:40 PM. I will continue the Unknown Son 3 until its end which will be soon I hope, these battle chapters will take a while. Please review, it is much appreciated. Also lightsaber fighting could be coming up soon, I am bringing in someone unexpected…. _**


	19. The Citadel

Chapter 19: The Citadel

Mara and Ravan strode behind the line of advancing AT-STs, lightsabers humming in hand. They reached the hill and treaded over it, there before them was the defense army the Emperor had assembled, it consisted of hundred, more probable thousands of storm troopers, dozens of AT-ST walkers as well as dark troopers, phase one only. They were at a disadvantage, Mara and Ravan had AT-AT walkers, phase two and three dark troopers, and bombers at their disposal. The Emperor was about to be beaten, horribly. The line of AT-ST walkers and a few lines of infantry stood over on the hill, the Emperor's force remained motionless in front of the citadel.

Then it happened, dozens and dozens of TIE bombers zoomed over the hill and over Vader's army. The Emperor's troops looked up, several of them tried to run back but the bombers each dropped their payloads, red orange explosions lit up the battle field, a bomber crashed as an enemy AT-ST got a lucky shot. Then the phase two and three dark troopers ignited their jetpacks and soared into the air, a very clear gap between the phase two and phase three, phase two in front they landed at the front lines.

The line of phase two began to cut down storm trooper after storm trooper as the bombers zoomed away. The phase three stood there for a moment, then their shoulder pads lifted up revealing concussion missile launchers the enemy AT-STs appeared to notice this, they opened fire on the dark troopers but not before several thousand missiles ignited and soared into the sky, hitting AT-STs and storm troopers a like. The commander of the 501st legion stood next to Mara and Ravan, behind their lines of AT-STs and before the vast army of storm troopers and then the lines of AT-AT walkers behind them.

"Ready?" He asked over the echoing bangs.

"Ready commander." Ravan replied. The commanded nodded; he pulled out a comm and spoke into it.

"Start up the advance." He ordered his respective lieutenants, captains, and commanders. Word reached the comm systems of the walkers as well, everywhere was filled with the echoing shouts of storm troopers and their superiors shouting move out! With dozens of hydraulic hisses from the AT-ST and AT-AT walker's legs the army charged. AT-AT's were the first to open fire, huge bolts of raw energy clashed into the opposing army, vaporizing troops on the spot, leaving nothing but a crater, scorch marks, and the smell of flesh and melted plastic. Opposing AT-STs went down left and right, some exploded still standing, sending burning and half melted pieces of shrapnel into their own ally storm troopers, others fell and simply sat there un-operational, others still fell to the ground and exploded, sending their allies flying into the air and landing so hard it destroyed their internal organs and killed them.

The dark troopers continued to hammer their enemies even as the line of attacking AT-STs began to open fire, storm troopers led by Mara and Ravan threaded between their legs. They all reached the front lines, Mara and Ravan dove into the masses and began hacking down enemies left and right, they stood back to back deflecting blaster bolts into their enemies. Ravan preformed an uppercut and a storm trooper fell down here, Mara hit a blaster bolt with her lightsaber, another storm trooper fell down there with a smoking hole in his visor, a burn mark in his forehead that extended all the way through his quiet and dead brain.

The ground battle heated up but the Emperor's forces were unprepared, being summoned at a moments notice had not given them proper time to set up their lines in a strategic manner, nor were they able to find cover or check to make sure their blasters were fully charged. They ran amuck, they were confused and occasionally cut down their own comrades, some who were smarter realized they were too close in proximity with their allies and resorted to beating enemy storm troopers with their fists or blasters. Some lost their blasters during the mad scramble and were forced to draw their blaster pistols in an attempt to cut down Vader's advancing army. So far they were losing, perhaps because the best trained legion in the entire empire, the 501st was against them.

Mara stabbed another trooper, Ravan kicked one in the helmet, spun and cut him in half, all around them lay the dead bodies. Just as the emperor's army began to pull back a fairly big, hugely modified, and well armed transport flew out of the sky, soaring at least four thousand feet above them, a retreating AT-ST tried to open fire on it but its bolt simply hit a strong deflector shield and bounced into the ground, the transport retaliated by shooting an ion cannon at the AT-ST, if fell to the ground, surging with blue electricity and killing several of its allies, after that no one in the emperors army tried anything else. They went into a full retreat, Vader's force chased after them, killing many. Mara watched as the transport lowered to about two hundred feet and it's back loading ramp lowered, well armed commando like men with jetpacks began deploying, landing with Vader's army and shooting down Sidious's retreating force with a curious arsenal of weapons. Some had commando blaster rifles; others carried sniper rifles, spray blast guns and even repeating, circular chain guns. Mara watched as Alecto leapt down beside her.

She and Ravan stopped as their allies rushed past them and finished cutting down the Emperor's army.

"What are you doing here?" Mara asked, wiping a gallon of sweat off of her forehead with a gloved hand.

"I just couldn't let you have all the fun right? Looks like I missed it."

"Not necessarily, there's still storming the citadel." Ravan said. "But my father and my mother are supposed to land soon, we are supposed to wait for them."

"Livia is coming too." Mara said. "She was Volla Melvaad to you."

"Oh good, I was hoping she would escape and those damned Loyalists wouldn't kill her, oh and I heard about your mother Lord Ravan. I was shocked to see her alive. At one time I worked with the CIS, I was a personal assassin of Count Dooku, he once ordered me to assassinate her back when she was a senator, but I dropped out of the CIS."

"You don't look old enough to have lived through the Clone Wars," Mara commented. "You only look twenty."

"Looks can be deceiving, just look at Kallisto." Alecto spat the name. "I'm actually fifty three, my race of humans have an extended life, I'm probably going to live to be two hundred as long as no one kills me. So anyway, where is de iron lung?"

"He doesn't have the suit anymore and I don't appreciate you calling him iron lung." Ravan snapped. _That was Mara's department_ he added in thought. "He should be here soon."

"What the hell is that?" Alecto cried, pointing into the sky. Out of the clouds flew two escape pod like objects. One had an imperial look about it, the other was entirely foreign, the Imperial one made a smooth dive and flew into the citadel hanger while the other crashed somewhere behind it, Mara, Ravan, and Alecto exchanged glances.

XxX

Grand Admiral Thrawn entered the Emperor's throne room, he had successfully landed his escape pod in the citadel hanger, he was going to report to the Emperor about the other pod which had shot out of space, he had never seen an escape pod with hyperspace capabilities, nor one that had some parts of it made out of twisted wood covered with a sort of metal stone mix. He was going to report this as well as his failure to the Emperor; he wasn't particularly looking forward to it.

He found the Emperor as well as Lord Xarkun, Dementra, and Kallisto gathered around a tactical display of the ground battle which had ended, it appeared Vader's forces were regrouping and getting ready to invade the citadel. They looked up as Grand Admiral Thrawn approached him, his normally neat and tidy hair was askew and his white uniform was stained with oil and ruffled.

"Grand Admiral," Sidious acknowledged. "Why are you here?!"

"The _Eclipse_ has been destroyed milord."

Sidious's lip curled, his mouth formed a snarl.

"How did this happen?" He asked menacingly.

"I don't really know sir, someone fired a ballistic proton torpedo down the laser barrel and into the main reactor."

"Your adeptness at command exceeds your mistake this time Grand Admiral, but one more slip up and you will die."

"With all due respect milord, I doubt there will be a next time, the battle is going badly for us in both space and on land."

"Silence Grand Admiral, tell me now, do you know where that other escape pod came from?"

"No sir, it just shot out of hyperspace."

"Interesting, I am sending a small scout force to examine the wreckage, I sense a powerful Force presence, one that I have not felt in almost eighteen years."

XxX

Vader, Livia, and Padmé had landed. The storm troops stormed the citadel, killing anyone and everyone in their paths. Vader, Ravan, Padmé, Mara, Alecto, and Livia trailed behind them occasionally activated their lightsabers and hacking off an enemy's head or in Alecto's case pulling out a pistol so fast you could hardly see it and then shooting a storm trooper so clean in the head one might think the Force was her ally. They were looking for a turbo lift.

The storm troopers were now splitting and looking for enemies on the first floor, Vader and everyone split from the main group as well. They kept in contact through communicators. Alecto and Ravan trailed behind Mara, turned a corner Ravan flew back and smashed into a wall, he fell down unconscious.

"Hello Alecto." Kallisto said, using the Force to push her into the wall as well.

"You!" Mara cried. "You get the hell out of my way or die."

Mara activated her lightsaber, Kallisto activated her own as a challenge. Mara took it, she came forward, spinning in an overhead strike, Kallisto paired, and preformed a sweep kick, knocking Mara to the ground. As one can imagine this greatly ticked Mara off, and the fight was over before it had begun. Kallisto pointed her lightsaber at Mara's neck.

"Stop being as stubborn as I am!" She snapped. "I knew from the beginning that I started working with you I would either have to betray you, maybe kill you but you don't understand! I have no choice in what I am doing, the Emperor saved me and showed me the path of power, he rules over my subconscious. I came down to warn you Mara, the entire group of us is up in the throne room. You saw how easily I took out Alecto and Ravan."

"You took them by surprise you—"

"Sidious will kill you Mara, he is more powerful than ever, please don't go to your death."

"You must be a moron to think that I would listen to you."

"Mara this is a friendly warning, I'm your mother and… I can also be your enemy. I'm sorry."

"I don't believe a word you say."

"Maybe not, but I know it's true. Sidious is waiting Mara, he will kill all of you."

"If you were so concerned about me then you would stab him in the back yourself!"

Kallisto didn't reply, she seemed to think about it for a moment. But then she simply raised Mara up with the Force and threw her into the wall as well. They woke up after she was gone.

XxX

"Sir," Grand Admiral Thrawn addressed Sidious as he approached him.

"If you are coming to tell me the citadel is breached Grand Admiral I will kill you." The Emperor seethed. "I've had seven people come to tell me that, as though I know nothing!"

Thrawn glanced momentarily at the bodies of storm troopers strewn across the floor. It probably was not helpful that the Emperor was killing some of his own forces.

"No sir, I'm not coming to tell you that. I am coming to tell you that the we've lost contact with the scout force we sent to that escape pod."

"I know," The Emperor replied, he gestured to Kallisto who seemed preoccupied in thought. "I sent her to the communications room, she just came back."

"Yes, I checked too, no contact." Kallisto lied distantly, she did check but she also talked with Mara.

"Well I took the liberty of sending out one last force, I have a recording of them sir, I find this highly suspicious."

"Have you noticed our citadel is under siege Grand Admiral?"

"I'm trying to prevent another threat! Clearly what ever was in this crashed pod is just that." Thrawn replied pulling out a comm with a recording on it. "Now listen if you please."

"_This is scout trooper X33449, I'm looking at the pod now. It's definitely not consistent with any Imperial one I've seen, first of all it has seven support struts and looks like it was homemade on some planet with only plants, stone and some scrap metal. I don't know how it can hold any oxygen in it. Also I'm looking at the body of one of our men, his wounds are not consistent with blaster fire. It's much more likely he was killed by… what! What the hell is that! Force it's got a lightsaber! Shoot it, kill it, what the hell is that! Some sort of… whoa it's coming for me, it's flipping a lot. Opening fire… AHHHHHH!!!"_

The transmission ended.

"It is of no consequence." Sidious said.

"Did you hear the transmission?"

"Indeed, perhaps he can still handle storm troopers but he is too old now to defeat us, I knew he would resurface one day. Now can you mobilize any defenses on the upper floors?"

"No, the slaves have rebelled, we've had to close off entire sectors in the citadel."

"We are in trouble Grand Admiral, have you checked the progress of the battle in space?"

"No, but it is my firm belief that we are losing."

"In that case we must prepare for what is to come Grand Admiral, namely Vader and his group of Jedi."

"Jedi?" Xarkun commented.

"Why else would Yoda be here?" Sidious snapped. "It was him in the escape pod. We must kill them or die."


	20. Redemption

_**My readers we are reaching the end of the Unknown Son series, if all goes well this is the second to last chapter… unless of course I can't stand typing straight action sword fighting for an entire chapter then I will split this into two. Yes, I want the trilogy have an explosive ending, here it is, nothing but action!**_

Chapter 20: Redemption

Vader had taken the entire first floor of the Emperor's citadel. He, Padmé, Ravan, Mara, Livia, and Alecto strode up to a turbo lift they found, Vader's synthetic hand hit the up button and the doors opened revealing a large lift car. Troop all around them boarded other turbo lifts to take other floors, Vader and the group stepped in. This was it, they were going to the top floor, they were going to face Sidious. After several quiet moments the door opened to reveal none other than Darth Dementra in an entrance hallway. She looked at Livia, Livia looked back at her furiously, her eyes darkened and half made the transition to yellow, red brimmed Sith eyes, but not quite, this half form of it though was equally as disturbing.

"I'll handle this." Livia said, she took out a lightsaber and activated a crimson blade. Dementra followed suit and stood there, waiting.

"We'll move on," Alecto said quietly. "Gut her, don't die, there's still a place for you at the business."

"Thank you," Livia replied. "Maybe I will come back."

"You won't be able to!" Dementra hissed.

"You can take her," Vader assured, he and the others ran out of the turbo lift and headed off, Dementra made no attempt at any of them. Livia stepped out of the lift, the doors closed, she flipped her lightsaber and plunged it back into the door, cutting a hole in it so the shaft was visible.

"What the…" Dementra trailed off.

"Down there is your final grave."

"I doubt it, I've practiced with a blade longer than you, I guarantee you'll be dead within the first minute."

"Let's see."

"Yeah, let's see."

Dementra and Livia both began towards each other, flipping and twirling their blade and building up power, concentrating it in one final moment when both blades met casting a shower of sparks and forming a red X. Dementra was the first to pull away, she did so swiftly, spinning she attempted a kick at Livia's face and nearly got her foot cut off. Before she could turn fully Livia was in mid strike, she barely parried.

"Hmm…" Dementra hummed. She turned around fully and the fight intensified.

"Still think I am not going to last a minute?"

"Yeah." Dementra replied, Livia had left her an opening. She kicked her in the stomach, Livia back stepped and felt the blade slip from her hands, it clanked and rolled onto the floor. She back stepped once more as Dementra spun and tried to cut her in half. Livia back stepped too far, she felt her foot hit thin air and nearly fell down the turbo lift shaft, catching herself at the last moment. Dementra cut off her right hand so fast it looked like a blur of red. Livia screamed as her hand began its long journey to the bottom of the turbo lift shaft. Dementra shook her head and raised her blade for the kill. She brought it down—

She flew back into the wall as a ripple tore through the force, when she made contact with solid duracrete her head smacked into it and her vision blurred momentarily. When it became clear once more and she jumped back into a fighting stance Livia was right there, she took a swipe at her head, Dementra ducked and the red blade cut into the wall, forming an orange and charred groove.

In a crouched position Dementra stabbed, Livia dodged out of the way and madly struck. Dementra parried every swipe, hack, or cut. Livia came down on her with an overhead strike, she parried and her knees buckled at the force of the blow. She pushed up and Livia pulled away, she did this all with one hand. Dementra saw an opportunity though; she kicked the saber out of her sister's hand and kicked her once more in the face. Livia fell to the ground with Dementra's blade at her throat.

XxX

Vader rounded the corner first, there before him were the tall doors that led to Sidious's throne room. Two storm troopers guarding it opened fire, Vader parried the bolts back into them. A man stood in between them as they fell, he was bald and wore long robes with a hood. He looked up at Vader and Padmé, Ravan, Mara, and Alecto as they rounded the corner.

"Who's the bald guy?" Ravan asked. Mara rolled her eyes and smiled.

"Did you just call me bald?" Lord Xarkun asked menacingly. "I am not bald!"

"Your head is shiny." Ravan commented, Mara knew he was doing this to be funny in front of her, like he did on their way here while hacking through lines of storm troopers.

Everyone could clearly see glowing yellow eyes under the shadow of the hood over Xarkun's head.

"I am not bald! MY HAIR IS THINNING!"

"Luke, we are trying to kill these people to bring peace to the galaxy, try not to upset him." Padmé said.

"I'm a hell of a lot more than upset!" Xarkun cried. In a flash he had a lightsaber in his hands. Ravan stared as he seemingly flew into the air, saber outstretched, he zoomed towards Ravan, spinning like a drill. Ravan barely leapt out of the way. Their fight began, Mara, Alecto, Padmé, and Vader headed into the throne room, ignoring the clashing sabers behind them.

They stepped into a long room, Sidious who looked substantially younger than the last time Vader saw him sat on his throne, Kallisto and a man in white stood next to him, he was a grand admiral, Sidious rose.

"Welcome my apprentice." Sidious hissed to Vader. "I haven't seen you without that suit in at least eighteen years."

"Yeah, I was sort of shocked when I saw you without your ugly face, I think this look is a vast improvement, how did you pull it off, prosthetics?"

Sidious rolled his eyes, never one for insults was Vader.

"And you," Vader addressed the Grand Admiral. "You were in command of the _Eclipse_?"

"That I was Lord Vader, my name is Grand Admiral Thrawn, it is nice to finally meet you before your death."

"So it was you who destroyed the _Executor_?"

"Yes it was."

"You nearly killed my best Admiral, I think I'm going to give him your position once the Loyalists are defeated, he will be a grand admiral as well, but first…" Vader pulled out his lightsaber and tossed it at Thrawn, it spun in the air like the blades of the air duct fans, it was a flash of red. Thrawn's eye turned wide as it came for him, Sidious stared full of rage at the saber sliced through the grand admiral's neck, his head and body fell to the floor. The saber flew back to Vader who caught it and lowered it to his side. "It was a pleasure meeting you as well Grand Admiral Thrawn."

"You will pay for that Lord Vader." Sidious spat. He let a lightsaber hilt slip from his sleeve and into his hand, he activated a scarlet blade. Padmé activated her own cerulean blade, Kallisto and Mara in unison activated their blood red lightsabers and Alecto drew a vibro blade with a glass like shine. Vader and Padmé lunged at the Emperor while Mara and Alecto ran at Kallisto, it had begun.

XxX

"Now," Dementra hissed pulling her humming blade back and raising it for the killing blow. Livia lay on the floor, clutching the charred stump where her hand come was. "You die."

"I don't think so!"

Livia let the Force carry her into the air, she flew up into a back flip, her feet came in contact with Dementra's chin, she stumbled back, blood escaping her mouth. Livia landed and called her lightsaber to her, one handed she charged at Dementra and the sisters clashed once more. With every slash, parry, strike, flip, kick, and occasionally punch the two began to come to the same realization, one of them was going to die. They were wrong.

Dementra saw an opportunity to kick Livia in the stomach and took it, Livia back stepped towards the open shaft of the turbo life once more. Dementra charged at her, blade extended. Livia wasn't ready, she angled her blade at Dementra and what happened next was so quick neither of them were prepared enough to stop it. Dementra's blade plunged into Livia, and Livia's stabbed Dementra through the stomach. Both looked at each other for one long moment, the life slipped away from them, Livia fell back into the shaft and fell into darkness. Dementra stumbled, took one last look down the shaft and fell back onto the floor, her lightsaber rolled out of her hands and came to a stop on the cold floor, the two sisters of the Nightsister clan were dead.

XxX

Alecto struck at Kallisto's head, but she wasn't a very adept sword fighter, close range hits with a blaster pistol were more her style. Kallisto deflected her blade to the side and into the floor, Alecto ducked at a swipe went by that would have decapitated her, Kallisto's blade continued on before being halted by Mara's, the sabers locked. Kallisto took an opportunity and extended her hand. Calling on the Force she concentrated it and blasted Alecto, she flew back spinning in the air and hit the wall, she fell unconscious.

"You…" Mara cut herself off breaking the saber lock and falling into a reign of furious blows. Kallisto parried them and hesitated, she felt the Emepror losing concentration as he fought Padmé and Vader, his hold was loose on her now. She began thinking much more clearly and went immediately on the defenses as Mara continued to strike. She would not kill her own daughter, never! But she quickly came to the realization that her daughter would kill her. It was Sidious's fault! He caused all of this! Suddenly Kallisto knew what she had to do. She went back on the defensive after deflected a blow to the side but had no intention of killing Mara.

XxX

Xarkun was like some sort of leopard, he was so fast Ravan could hardly parry his blows. His Force aura roared with power, Ravan had no idea what to do. Xarkun flipped into the air and landed behind him, he sensed a stab directed toward him, this was it… no, it wasn't! Ravan leapt into the air and did a one hundred eighty degree turn, his lightsaber flew from his hands spinning into a red blur. It flew at Xarkun who dodged out of the way, he turned to face it as it came back. It was so close….

Xarkun ducked just as it reached him and struck up. Ravan gasped as his blade deactivated and the his saber hilt fell to the ground in two pieces. He was thrown back, hit by and invisible flood of water, he hit solid duracrete and slid down to the floor, leaning against the wall which had stopped him from flying back further. Xarkun smiled and laughed cruelly. Ravan's vision was blurry, he could barely see a dark figure approaching him.

Xarkun towered over his enemy, pulled his saber back and… he gasped as something tore through his spine and heart, he fell to the floor as it pulled out and his crimson blade deactivated. Ravan could barely see the small figure of some big eared green alien clutching a small emerald blade. Master Yoda extended his hand and sent a strong Force persuasion to Ravan's mind: sleep. Ravan felt exhausted and immediately let himself fall into a deep slumber.

Yoda chuckled slightly. "Expected the son of Vader to be stronger I did."

XxX

Sidious blocked every single blow directed at him from Padmé or Vader, he didn't even attempt to dodge when it would have been more convenient, he parried as if the prove he was stronger. Padmé would strike low, he would deflect it with his blade as Vader began to slash high, then he would send out a small wave of Force just to make Padmé back step and finally he would parry Vader's attack, he did this in fractions of a second, the Force was under his control and he concentrated solely on slaying his foe. He failed to notice Kallisto's heart was changing, or her fury directed towards him, he failed to notice Xarkun and Dementra had just died, and he failed to notice the short green figure standing near the door.

As one would imagine it was tiring to parry so many strikes and slashes and stabs, sometimes following so closely he would parry three in one second. Even with the Force was getting exhausted and letting down his guard slightly, he had to rid himself of one of these pests and soon. He lost an opportunity when Padmé spun, when Vader stabbed and he dodged out of the way (having to resort to that because of his exhaustion) and then pulled back.

He finally seized one however. Padmé slashed, Sidious parried and tossed a wave of Force at Vader, while Padmé pulled her saber back he called on the Force once more and hurled it at her. The blow set her flying into the wall. Vader watched as her head hit with a thud and she fell to the floor, her cerulean blade died.

"PADMÉ! Vader cried. Sidious seized another golden opportunity. He propelled himself into the air and swung his foot into Vader's shoulder, Vader fell to the ground as Sidious landed, he lost grip of his saber hilt and watched in horror at it fell into itself, being crushed by the Force.

Sidious towered over him. He extended his hands and let a huge dose of Force lightning fly into Vader. It hit him so hard he flew across the room and stopped as he hit the wall next to Padmé. He did not have the strength to get up.

"Now Lord Vader," Sidious said quietly. "You will die."

"Not if anything to say about it I have!" Cried a deep yet little voice as Sidious released another wave of lightning. Yoda jumped into his path and absorbed the lighting with his emerald lightsaber. Sidious cut off the wave of lightning as he knew it was futile, Yoda would continue to block it.

"Master Yoda, you're alive."

"Surprised are you?"

"You arrogance blinds you as it did eighteen years ago. Get ready to experience the full power of the dark side." Sidious rasped, he reactivated his blade.

Yoda leapt at him flipping into the air, he landed before him and spun like a top, Sidious blocked his blows. Yoda flipped into the air once more, striking at his neck and then upon his way down spinning and trying to cut him in half. Sidious parried and once Yoda hit the ground he came down with an overhead strike. Yoda met his blade. Sidious could sense the little master's exhaustion already, even as he called on the Force, he did not have the vigor he once had and through the years his strength and skill with a blade had waned, as had his supreme knowledge of swordplay, he left himself open. A boot flew into his head and knocked him back. Sidious laughed as he pulled his foot back and deactivated his lightsaber. He was going to finish what he started in the senate area so long ago and zap Yoda to death.

XxX

Kallisto watched in horror as Sidious towered over the small alien Jedi. Now was as good as ever to prove herself to Mara, and Mara had given her an opening. She had jabbed at her and when she was pulling back Kallisto spun with an outstretched foot and kicked the lightsaber out of Mara's hand. Mara audibly gasped and grunted as Kallisto kicked her in the stomach, she fell onto the floor. To her surprise Kallisto did not turn to kill her but instead ran at Sidious.

The Emperor looked up to see her coming and shot a wave of lightning at her, it smashed into her body, knocking her to the ground.

Vader and Padmé watched as they regained consciousness and stood up. Vader looked at Yoda who had saved him, he couldn't let him die, he had been a true Jedi, and a great and wise master. Vader and Padmé both ran at Sidious, they stopped and sent the Force at him, he flew back and hit the window of his throne room, his cracked from the force of impact and his neck jolted, his brain stem actually snapped and his head hung down. He was dead. Mara stood up.

"What?" She asked incredulously to Kallisto. Kallisto turned as Ravan entered the room.

"I'm your mother Mara, I'm on your side." Kallisto said, and for the first time ever Mara rushed up to her as realization dawned, she hugged her tightly. Yoda stood up and coughed loudly.

"Well done Lord Vader redeemed yourself you have and fulfilled the prophecy. Gone the Sith are, brought back into balance the Force has been. Sense I do no more evil in your son's heart, nor yours, congratulations Jedi Skywalker."

"No," Vader replied. "I don't deserve that name, not after what I've done. The Loyalists are gone and so are the Sith but I am far away from redemption, the name Vader will forever be my curse."

"You'll always be Anakin to me." Padmé said, and for the first time in eighteen years their lips met. Yoda smiled, though he didn't particularly approve that sort of intimacy from his years as a Jedi, but it did not matter. The galaxy was safe, the Sith were destroyed and whether or not he would accept it Vader was redeemed, hopefully the Jedi order would be resurrected, and the republic restored. Today was the turning point of the entire galaxy, light would overcome the years of darkness once again, father, mother, and a previously unknown son had brought peace.

**_And so ends Unknown Son, I know this end part of the chapter was somewhat swift but I have completed everything that needs completing and the action was a hard thing to do, I can't believe I have an entire chapter with nothing but that in it. Well Kallisto and Mara are now getting along, whether Vader accepts it he is redeemed, the rest I'll leave open, but there probably will not be and Unknown Son 4. Not to worry though, I am plotting my next Sith like fic, Obi-Wan turns to the dark side after Siri Tachi dies (having survived until about the time of RoTS) and Anakin does not turn to the dark side. I hope you might read that, thanks people this trilogy has been great, now can I get a couple of reviews of all of that action, please? _**


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